UNIMAS Journal (Universiti Malaysia Sarawak)
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The Potential of Neolamarckia cadamba Seedling in Improving Growth Performance and Yield of Zea mays under Different Precipitation Patterns
Full text linkClimate change is altering rainfall, with more droughts and severe storms that harm agriculture. These shifts in temperature and precipitation disrupt soil moisture, which is essential for the growth of staple crops. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the effects of integrating Neolamarckia cadamba with Zea mays on growth performance under different precipitation patterns: low (T1), normal (T2) and high (T3). The experiment was conducted in a completely randomised block design (CRBD), with the first block representing N. cadamba integrated with Z. mays as agroforestry, the second block representing only Z. mays as a crop and the third block only N. cadamba as a tropical tree species. The growth parameters (number of leaves, diameter, plant height and chlorophyll content) were measured 120 days after planting and the yield parameters (fresh weight, dry weight, number of kernels, fresh weight of kernel, dry weight of kernel) were measured after harvesting. The results showed significant effects of rainfall and agroforestry integration on maize yield in term of dry weight, number of kernels, kernels fresh weight and kernel dry weight. Kernel yield parameters, including fresh weight and kernel number, were highest under T2 and T3 in the agroforestry (AGRO), indicating improved availability of resources and soil conditions by N. cadamba. In term of practices, AGRO produced higher chlorophyll (SPAD: 29.44±1.44 vs 22.47±2.31; p< 0.05) and dry weight (277.24±11.68 g vs 216.84±23.47 g; p< 0.05) than NON-AGRO. These results show an ecological trade-off such as in normal and wet conditions N. cadamba cools the canopy and conserves soil moisture, raising Z. mays performance while under drought, root water pre-emption and reduced light increase competition and depress kernel. At farm level, border or alley planting of N. cadamba with Z. mays can be promoted under normal and wet conditions, while wider spacing or soil-water conservation is advisable in dry conditions the policymakers can include maize and N. cadamba designs in agroforestry extension as part of climate-smart agriculture
THE IMPACT OF LIQUIDITY RISK AND MACROECONOMIC FACTORS ON THE FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE OF COMMERCIAL BANKS IN MALAYSIA
Full text linkThis study aims to examine the impact of liquidity risk and macroeconomics factors on the financial performance of commercial banks in Malaysia. This study uses secondary data from 20 commercial banks in Malaysia from 2019 to 2023 and panel data estimation. The empirical results show that the loan-to-deposit ratio has a significant negative impact on return on assets. Interest rates and GDP also shows significant positive effects on bank performance, highlighting the role of macroeconomic conditions in influencing profitability. In contrast, capital adequacy ratio and current ratio had insignificant effects on profitability. This study provides practical insights for policymakers, investors, and bank managers in enhancing risk management and decision-making processes
POLICY ENFORCEMENT, ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PRACTISES AND SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS IN MALAYSIA
Full text linkSustainable business practises that are favourable to the industry increase societal benefits while mitigating adverse environmental effects. Nevertheless, implementing sustainable business practises might be difficult due to certain challenges within businesses. This study investigated the relationship between environmental management practises and the implementation of policy in order to support sustainable business. The results show that while regulatory enforcement mitigates this association, the company's environmental management practises do not affect its capacity to conduct sustainable business. It implies that companies are forced to comply with all laws and guidelines concerning environmental practises. When businesses adhere to the required environmental practises, they may implement sustainable operations. Thus, this study helps businesses manage their day-to-day operations by balancing economic, social, and environmental issues in corporate development initiatives. Adopting this approach may result in a change in the firm's obligation to adhere to the enforcement of measures to promote long-term economic performance. This study gives insights into the efficacy or limitations of existing policies which can help shape future policy, potentially leading to more robust and adaptable regulations
INNOVATING PAYMENTS SUSTAINABLY: A JOURNEY THROUGH RISKS, REWARDS, AND REGULATORY READINESS
Full text linkDespite its potential, FinTech payments have not yet become the mainstream payment method. Traditional card and cash are still preferred over FinTech payments globally, including in Malaysia.
This study aims to investigate the factors driving the usage of FinTech payments in Malaysia based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), meta UTAUT, and the Value-based Adoption Model (VAM) covering multiple perspectives of system properties, individual characteristic, and external environment. A total of 546 responses were collected from 13 states in Malaysia using a stratified random sampling technique and analysed using the PLS-SEM approach.
The findings suggest effort expectancy, social benefit, openness to change, and attitude are significant determinants of intention. Attitude is found to mediate the relationship between performance and effort expectancy, economic and social benefit, regulatory support, openness to change, and intention. However, social influence, security, and privacy risk did not impact attitude and intention.
To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study integrating UTAUT, meta-UTAUT, and VAM to explain this issue. By combining multiple theories into one comprehensive framework, it provides valuable insights for developing strategies to promote greater adoption of these technologies
DRIVING FACTORS TO TOURISM DESTINATION ATTRACTIVENESS IN ISKANDAR MALAYSIA: THE MEDIATING ROLE OF ENJOYMENT
Full text linkTourism destination attractiveness undeniably contributes to sustainable tourism. However, Iskandar Malaysia lacks a robust marketing strategy. This highlights that there is a need to investigate the driving factors and the mediating effect of enjoyment on tourism destination attractiveness from the tourist’s perspective, using Social Cognitive Theory and Comparative Advantage Theory. A total of 215 tourists participated voluntarily and IBM SPSS and SmartPLS 4.0 were applied. Interestingly, the findings revealed that price sensitivity, entrepreneurial competency, and self-efficacy are mediated by enjoyment toward tourism destination attractiveness. This study contributes to the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal 11 for sustainable cities
AN EMPIRICAL STUDY OF TEAM PERFORMANCE IN INDONESIA’s MULTINATIONAL FMCG COMPANY: MODERATING AND MEDIATING EFFECTS
Full text linkThis research examines how Leader-Member Exchange Social Comparison (LMXSC) and Relative Perceived Organizational Support (RPOS) affect team performance. It also examines how hubristic pride plays a role in this process, with willingness to support the organization influencing team performance. In particular, this study used social comparison to bring together the theories of LMXSC and RPOS. It measured variables from previous studies, such as arrogance and willingness to support both social comparison applications. Therefore, this should provide new insight into the managerial applications of both theories when combined. This study used a cross-sectional method with 200 respondents from a multinational FMCG. The data was analyzed using structured equation modeling of partial least squares (SEM-PLS) and SmartPLS 4.0 software for data processing tools. The results showed that hubristic pride only moderates the positive impact of LMXSC on team performance and willingness to support. This study also found that RPOS positively impacts willingness to support and team performance only without hubristic pride. The results from this study indicate that LMXSC and RPOS relate to each other, significantly influencing individual and organizational settings, respectively. This research offers new evidence for the social comparison theory and highlights the importance of considering social and psychological factors in managing employees
THE IMPACT OF GOVERNMENT SIZE ON ECONOMIC GROWTH IN CHINESE PREFECTURE-LEVEL CITIES: DOES FISCAL TRANSPARENCY MATTER?
Full text linkRecent studies have examined how institutions influence the relationship between government size and economic growth. However, they have largely overlooked the significance of fiscal transparency, which can help bridge the information gap between governments and citizens. Furthermore, these studies typically concentrate on national or state levels, neglecting local governments that are primarily responsible for delivering public goods. This study investigates the impact of local government size on economic growth in Chinese prefecture-level cities, emphasizing the moderating role of fiscal transparency. We employ a dynamic panel model with two-way fixed effects and the Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) for estimation. The data encompasses 283 cities from 2013 to 2022. The main findings are as follows: In the absence of fiscal transparency, local government size positively influences economic growth; however, fiscal transparency negatively moderates this relationship. Moreover, as fiscal transparency increases, the positive effect diminishes and becomes statistically insignificant once it exceeds a certain threshold. Robustness checks using alternative measures and estimation techniques validate the results. The primary originality of this study lies in quantifying the moderating role of fiscal transparency in the relationship between government size and growth. These findings challenge the New Institutional Theory, which asserts that institutions directly drive growth, and provide a novel perspective on the interplay between government size and economic performance, offering valuable insights for policymakers aiming to balance government size and transparency for sustainable development
INTELLECTUAL CAPITAL, R&D AND SUSTAINABLE FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE: MODERATING ROLE OF FIRM CHARACTERISTICS IN AN EMERGING MARKET
Full text linkIntellectual capital (IC) is a crucial driver of sustainable financial performance, particularly in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries. This study uses panel data from Vietnamese firms between 2017 and 2022 to investigate how IC and research and development (R&D) investment influence firm sustainability in an emerging market. This research, compared with previous studies, confirms the positive impact of IC and R&D on short- and long-term financial stability and also highlights the moderating role of firm characteristics. Specifically, firm size and growth rate enhance the benefits of R&D investment, whilst older firms exhibit a diminishing effect, potentially owing to reduced adaptability or innovation capacity. By emphasising the relationship amongst R&D, IC and firm characteristics, this study offers fresh insights into maximising financial sustainability in dynamic markets. Findings provide a foundation for future research and practical strategies to foster long-term competitiveness in emerging economies
Effect of Vermicompost and Molasses on the Phosphorus Adsorption Characteristics of Cow Dung Amended Soil
Full text linkLong term but steady-control release of phosphorus is crucially important for phosphorus fertiliser management and plant growth. In the present study, we aimed to explore the effects of vermicompost and molasses on the phosphorus adsorption characteristics of cow dung amended soil. To achieve this goal, four treatments: control (soil + 10% cow dung), T1: SCV (soil + 9% cow dung + 1% vermicompost), T2: SCM (soil + 10% cow dung + 0.1% molasses), and T3: SCVM (soil + 9% cow dung + 1% vermicompost + 0.1% molasses) with three replicates were investigated. The treatments were incubated for 21 days at room temperature (~30 °C) and the samples were collected at seven days intervals. Phosphorus adsorption behaviour was examined by measuring maximum phosphorus adsorption capacity (MPAC), phosphate bonding energy (PBE) and maximum phosphate buffering capacity (MPBC)with some related physico-chemical parameters e.g., pH, electrical conductivity (EC), organic matter (OM) content. Physico-chemical studies revealed that both vermicompost and molasses have positive impact on pH, EC, and OM confirming the relatively better nutrient availability to plants. Initially, the MPAC values of both vermicompost and molasses amended samples (T1: SCV, T2: SCM and T3: SCVM) showed the highest MPAC (696.18 ± 52.625, 703.94 ± 92.386 and 670.17 ± 33.786 mg/kg respectively) followed by gradual decrease to 436.15 ± 16.346, 448.61± 24.221, and 430.78 ± 6.871 mg/kg respectively with time while cow dung amended control soil showed increasing trend starting from the value 321.52 ± 56.462 to 592.65 ± 53.657 mg/kg. Study of the PBE and MPBC of all amended samples followed the same pattern of change
Characterisation of Soilless Substrates Blended from Coco Peat and Burned Rice Husk via Particle Size Distribution Analysis
Full text linkSoilless media is widely employed in modern agriculture to facilitate efficient water management, enhance nutrient uptake, and mitigate soil-borne diseases. When different soilless media are blended in varying compositions, their physical and hydrological properties change, directly impacting crop yield and growth performance. Understanding the combination effect of coco peat (CP) and burn rice husk (BRH) concerning particle size distribution suitability for the potting medium is essential. This study aims to evaluate the particle size distribution of blended soilless substrates composed of CP and BRH at various compositions. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) test was deployed to assess significant differences between particle sizes among the treatments. Particle distribution curves were further analysed for particle diameter at selected cumulative mass distribution, median, standard deviation, mass relative span, kurtosis and skewness. Results indicated that most samples consist of fines and medium particle size, positive fine skewed, and signified by mesokurtic and leptokurtic. The combination of CP and RBH at different ratios has changed the coarse (> 2.3 mm), medium (2.3 to 0.6 mm) and fine (< 0.6 mm) particle size composition. This study demonstrated that the combination of CP and BRH improved particle distribution size by increasing the medium and fine-size particles. This finding provides valuable information on physical changes in particle size due to the blend of CP and BRH for potting soilless media. Understanding soilless media characteristics would guide farmers in managing better irrigation practices for precision irrigation or IoT smart farming for optimum agricultural production