3127 research outputs found
Sort by
Intersecting Dynamics: The Influence of Macroeconomic Factors and Financial Development on Interest Rate Spreads in Uganda
Get PDFThe study investigates the factors influencing interest rate spreads in Uganda's banking sector, focusing on inflation, GDP, Real Effective Exchange Rate (REER), private sector credit, and financial development. Using an Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model on data from 2001 to 2022, it examines short and long-term dynamics between these variables and interest rate spreads, within the liquidity preference theory framework. In the short run, inflation and GDP have marginally significant positive impacts on interest rate spreads, indicating that initial increases may widen spreads due to heightened liquidity demand and economic activity. Conversely, in the long run, these factors exhibit significant negative effects, suggesting a stabilizing influence of monetary policy and increased market efficiency. The REER's short-term impact reflects currency value fluctuations affecting risk premium adjustments, which diminish in the long run as markets adapt. The study also explores the interaction between inflation and financial development, represented by private sector credit, on interest rate spreads. Short-term results show a non-significant negative moderation by financial development, while long-term analysis suggests a potential amplification of inflation's effects as the financial sector matures, requiring nuanced financial development policies. Policy recommendations stress the importance of stabilizing inflation and exchange rates to control interest rate spreads in the short term. Long-term strategies include enhancing banking sector efficiency and promoting competitive practices to mitigate the negative effects of economic growth on interest rate spreads
Boardroom Diversity and Whistleblowing Disclosure: Empirical Evidence from Malaysia’s Top 100 Publicly Listed Companies
Get PDFThe disclosure of whistleblowing policies is a critical component of effective corporate governance. High standards of whistleblowing policy disclosure signal a company’s commitment to safeguarding stakeholder interests. This research aims to analyze the relationship between board composition and whistleblowing policy disclosure in the top 100 Malaysian publicly listed companies. Specifically, the study investigates whether board independence, board size, the frequency of board meetings, and board gender diversity affect the level of whistleblowing policy disclosure. The relationships between these board characteristics and whistleblowing policy disclosure are analyzed using an Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression model. The findings reveal that board independence and gender diversity are significantly and positively associated with whistleblowing policy disclosure. However, board size and frequency of the board meetings do not exhibit significant relationships with whistleblowing policy disclosure. This study has contributed to the existing literature by extending the principal-principal conflict theory to the context of whistleblowing policy disclosure, offering new insights into the governance mechanisms that drive transparency in corporate reporting
Bridging the Gap: Addressing Educator and Caregiver Challenges in Transitioning Students with ASD to Higher Education and TVET - A Scoping Review
Get PDFStudents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) often struggle with communication and social skills, necessitating significant support from family, caregivers, and educators. In Malaysia, while Special Education Needs (SEN) students are typically integrated into general education during their school years, their presence in tertiary education or TVET remains underrepresented. This scoping review aims to identify and understand the challenges general educators and caregivers face in facilitating the transition of ASD students from higher education to tertiary education and TVET. A comprehensive analysis of literature from Scopus, ProQuest, and Science Direct databases, focusing on studies published between 2013 and 2023, was conducted. The findings reveal mixed experiences, highlighting significant difficulties and areas for improvement. General educators and caregivers report numerous challenges, including inadequate training, insufficient resources, and a lack of tailored support systems, which collectively hinder the smooth transition of ASD students into higher educational settings. It suggests that targeted interventions and increased collaboration between educators and caregivers can lead to more positive outcomes. This study provides original insights into the specific needs and barriers faced by ASD students in Malaysia, offering valuable implications for policymakers, educators, and caregivers to create more inclusive and effective educational transitions. Future research on transitioning students with ASD to higher education and TVET should focus on longitudinal studies to track long-term outcomes, the development and evaluation of targeted intervention programs, and the role of assistive technologies in the transition process
Conceptualizing the Antecedents and Individual Impact of Business Intelligence in the Public Sector: The Technology-Organisation-Authoritative Framework
Get PDFBusiness intelligence (BI) refers to a technological tool and process that transforms large and fragmented data into well-informed graphical insights to aid managerial decision-making. Recognizing the significant benefits of BI in leveraging extensive amounts of data, governments have been progressively investing in BI tools to improve efficiency in public offices. Nevertheless, despite a significant body of knowledge related to BI adoptions and their advantages, there is a dearth of theoretical understanding of how the effective use of the system affects employees' work performance, particularly among civil servants who have distinctive work natures compared to businesses. Most studies have also ignored external and institutional factors that influence individual usage, whilst studies on the effective use of BI tools remain limited. The paper thus proposed a new conceptual framework for examining the factors that influence the effective use of BI and its impact on individual job performance. The suggested propositions could provide a theoretical contribution by integrating technological, organizational and authoritative dimensions that are novel and unique to the public sector. It would also contribute to practical understandings for public managers and policymakers in ensuring the investment made on BI is worthwhile. Ultimately, the paper seeks to bridge the gap in BI studies related to public organizations
Factors of Innovation Capability That Influence Employee Performance in Public Sector
Get PDFThe purpose of this study is to investigate the factors of innovation capability that influence employee performance in the public sector. Most employees lacked knowledge regarding factors of innovation capability that can guide them to innovate when doing tasks. Weak supportive leadership, unwillingness to share knowledge, difficulties to express creativity, and technological barriers prevent them from innovating and performing well in their workplace. A convenience sampling technique was used and a total of 122 public-federal employees participated in this study. This study was conducted on lower to middle management personnel who currently serve as public employees in any federal agencies in the vicinity of Kota Samarahan, Sarawak, Malaysia. The SPSS was applied in assessing the model. The results indicated that significant influence of supportive leadership, knowledge sharing, creativity and technology capability on employee performance in the public sector. This study will serve as a guideline for management to design new strategies in ensuring its employees perform well, the organization would have a good employee performance rate which literally influences the organization's performance too, and the ideation of policy makers regarding innovative performance among employees can be supported. It was hoped that this study would use other different factors of innovation capability that would influence employee performance with different organizational types or different levels of management for future study
Revisiting Okun's Law: Evidence from Malaysia
Get PDFOkun’s Law explains an inverse relationship between unemployment and GDP. To re-examine the validity of Okun’s Law to the Malaysian economy through the period of 1988 until 2021, this paper employed the Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) approach with several diagnostic tests. The findings indicate that there is a significant relationship between GDP and unemployment. The control variables - population, inflation rate, and FDI also significantly affect unemployment. While the country's GDP and inflation rate have a negative relationship with unemployment, population and FDI have a positive relationship with unemployment in Malaysia. Therefore, Okun’s Law is valid in the case of Malaysia
Non-Shariah Compliance Risks (NCR) and the Danger of Potential Fraud in the Islamic Financial Institutions: A Conceptual Framework
Get PDFThis research paper is a conceptual study that aims to examine financial fraud and its relation to non-compliance to Shariah for the Islamic financial institution in Malaysia. The study is unique because it seeks to understand how deviations from Shariah guidelines could contribute to financial misconduct, examining the specific non-Shariah compliance risks that arise when the deviation of internal control fails to align with Islamic law. Utilizing quantitative methodology, this study adopts and adapts from an existing structured questionnaire survey to collect data. This study also employs Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) in its analysis of the data. The implication of this study for policymakers includes the development of an effective strategy for mitigating financial fraud and ensuring Shariah compliance, thus ensuring the integrity and reputation of the Islamic financial sectors. This will undoubtedly contribute to the stability of the economy
Affecters on Housing Prices: An Initial Review in Malaysia
Get PDFThis research delves into the intricate dynamics of the Malaysian housing market. Due to the issue of constantly high and expensive house prices, the study aims to integrate the possible macroeconomic causes as well as the integrity issue by focusing on three vital independent variables: Gross Domestic Product (GDP), Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), and Corruption Index (CRP). The research uses quantitative methods, the Ordinary Least Squares (OLS), to reveal nuanced correlations between these economic variables and house prices in Malaysia. The intriguing findings show that both FDI and CRP significantly influence house prices positively, aligning with existing literature. However, the unexpectedly insignificant correlation between GDP and house prices suggests a potential gap in understanding, adding a layer of intrigue to the research. These results and significant findings offer valuable insights for decision-makers and emphasize the importance of ongoing research to better grasp the complex factors shaping housing markets in different economic situations
Exploring the Drivers, Challenges, and Opportunities of Supply Chain Technology Adoption for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Malaysia
Get PDFSmall and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) have a crucial impact on the Malaysian economy, making major contributions to the functioning of the supply chain. Integrating supply chain technology has become a crucial element in enhancing the efficiency and competitiveness of SMEs in Malaysia. During recent years many developing and developed countries have witnessed the expansion of markets and supply chain networks; in the progress of these market and supply systems SMEs find various complexities when they are implementing or improving the technology integration of their supply chain. The current body of literature often addresses the adoption of technology in a general manner or within larger organizations, resulting in a significant gap in study about the specific circumstances and requirements of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This study employs a rigorous methodology that analyzes relevant papers to examine the drivers, challenges, and opportunities for adopting supply chain technology among SMEs in Malaysia. By implementing supply chain technology, Malaysian SMEs can increase their performance in many areas of key performance indicators. This includes improving efficiency, optimizing inventory management, achieving cost savings, enhancing customer service, and increasing market competitiveness. It is believed that the findings of the study can be useful for managers of SMEs, policymakers, and interested stakeholders. This will enable SMEs to navigate the challenges of adopting technology more effectively and enhance global competitiveness
Personal Bankruptcy Prediction Using Logistic Regression Model
Get PDFAccording to the Insolvency Department of Malaysia, as of December 2023, 233,483 Malaysians are currently involved in bankruptcy cases due to their defaults on hire purchase loans, credit card loans, personal loans, housing loans, and business loans. This is indeed a critical issue because the growing number of personal bankruptcy cases will hurt the Malaysian economy as well as society. From an individual's economic perspective, bankruptcy minimizes their chances of getting a job. Apart from that, their accounts will be frozen, they will lose control of their properties and assets, and they will not be allowed to start any business or be a part of any company's Board of Directors. Bankrupts also will be rejected from any loan application. This paper examines this problem by developing a personal bankruptcy prediction model using the logistic regression technique. This paper defines "bankrupt" as terminated members who failed to settle their loans. The sample comprised 24,546 cases with 17% settled cases and 83% terminated cases. The data included a dependent variable, i.e., bankruptcy status (Y=1(bankrupt), Y=0(non-bankrupt)), and 12 predictors. Upon completion, this paper succeeds in coming out with a reliable personal bankruptcy prediction model and significant variables of personal bankruptcy. The findings of this paper are very beneficial and significant to creditors, banks, the Malaysia Department of Insolvency, potential borrowers, members of AKPK, and society in general in raising awareness of personal bankruptcy risks and such information may help them to take preventive measures in minimizing the number of personal bankruptcy cases