Closed-Loop Supply Chain Adoption and The Mediating Effect of Green Capabilities - Evidence from Malaysia

The concept of a closed-loop supply chain (CLSC) is concerned with the recovery of value from returned consumer products via resales. The rapidness of economic growth gives manufacturers no option but to shorten the product life cycle. Consequently, new versions following product upgrades happen too fast, increasing product returns in the form of End-of-Life (EOL) or End-of-Use returns. This issue has become crucial with a lack of processes for effectively handling product returns in Malaysia; thus, firms often use a third party, although this is considered improper by global standards. Therefore, this research aims to clarify the connection between Institutional Theory and the Natural Resource-Based View (NRBV) Theory in light of CLSC adoption in Malaysia. The findings highlight the role of government in overpowering competitors and customers in adopting a CLSC. The study’s limitations include presenting a formation of ideas that haven’t been previously linked in a research framework, setting the stage for more research in this area.

Understanding consumer intention with respect to purchase and use of pirated software

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to study factors that influence consumers' intention to purchase and use of pirated software. Design/methodology/approach - This study tests the impact of five factors (procedural fairness, reciprocal fairness, distributive fairness, subjective norm, and attitude) on intention towards software piracy by 289 consumers' in Malaysia. Survey questions from prior studies were adopted and customized, and the model was analyzed using partial least squares and structural equation modeling tool (Smart-PLS 2.0 M3). Findings - The results indicated that a significant and positive relationship exists between reciprocal fairness, procedural fairness, subjective norm, attitude, and consumers' intention towards software piracy. Research limitations/implications - This study was restricted to consumers within one country (Malaysia). Additional studies across other countries are encouraged. This research can help businesses better improve the ways to reduce software piracy rates. They get to understand more about the exact problem and cause behind software piracy and can target better strategies to curb this problem. Practical implications - This study is useful for researchers, managers, and software vendors willing to highlight the factors that contribute to software piracy. Originality/value - The study highlights factors that influence consumers' intention towards software piracy, which has not been widely studied especially in Malaysia

Supply Chain Integration: Level of Existence in Green Supply Chain Management Practices among Malaysian ISO 14001 Manufacturing Firms

This paper examines the level of existence of supply chain integration, which covers supplier integration, internal integration and customer integration. From the literature, the level of supply chain integration among Malaysian manufacturing firms has yet to be identified. This empirical research was conducted in firms that implement green supply chain management practices and are ISO 14001 certified. Results showed that manufacturing firms in Malaysia practiced a highly progressive level of supply chain integration. Between supplier integration, internal integration and customer integration, internal integration was the most adopted. These findings provided an evaluation on the current level of supply chain integration and therefore provided insights to the importance of supply chain integration in firms that implement green supply chain management practices. Keywords- Supply chain integration, Green Supply Chain Management Practices, ISO 14001, manufacturing firm

Towards Sustainable Performance: Promoting Eco-Design in Green Supply Chain Management Practices

This paper explores the green supply chain management practices adoption among Malaysian ISO 14001 certified manufacturing companies. The green practices that are measured in this research are eco-design, green purchasing and reverse logistics. This study used survey to collect responses from 616 manufacturing companies, with a response rate of 24.68%. The findings provided evidence that the level of green supply chain management practices has been implemented to a greater extent among responding firms. Specifically, the results have empirically proven that eco-design was the most highly adopted green practices among these manufacturing firms. In view of these findings, green supply chain management practices that involve external relationship with suppliers and customers (green purchasing and reverse logistics) have comparatively lower adoption than internally-focused green supply chain management practices (eco-design), which involves fewer external relationships. This paper provides the possible reasons for eco-design being the most adopted green practise among Malaysian ISO 14001 certified manufacturing companies and provides suggestions for firms in view of enhancing their sustainable performance through promoting eco-design in their green practices

Role of Cultural Intelligence and Customer Involvement on Behavioral Loyalty Toward Manufactured Products in Nigeria

Evidence from the literature reveals that customer loyalty research is growing and is becoming more widely integrated into related disciplines. This study evaluates the role of sales representatives’ cultural intelligence (CI) in the behavioral loyalty (BL) of customers of SMEs in Nigeria, through the mechanism of customer involvement (CuI). Two sets of questionnaires were administered directly to the sales representatives, and indirectly to the customers, via the sales representatives. Three hundred and fifty copies of the sales representatives’ questionnaire were administered, based on the population of 65 manufacturing SMEs and an average of 5.4 copies per SME, while 384 copies of the customers’ questionnaire were sent to the unknown pool of customers. Data were col- lected from the two sets of respondents, which were analyzed through a variance-based structural equation modeling using Smart-PLS software. The results reveal a positive and significant relationship between cultural intelligence and behavioral loyalty, while the in- direct relationship reveals customer involvement does strongly mediate the relationship between the antecedent and the outcome. The findings imply that behavioral loyalty is engendered when sales representatives possess high cultural intelligence, and customers are strategically involved through consultations and product co-creation

Technology Adoption Among Small And Medium Enterprises (SME's): A Research Agenda.

This paper presents the research agenda that has been proposed to develop an integrated model to explain technology adoption of SMEs in Malaysia. SMEs form over 90% of all business entities in Malaysia and they have been contributing to the development of the nation

Mejora del rendimiento sostenible a través de las prácticas de gestión de la cadena de suministro verde: un estudio de empresas manufactureras de Malasia

This paper investigates the effects of green supply chain management practices on sustainable performance. This study sent a survey to 616 Malaysian ISO 14001 certified manufacturing companies. With a total of 152 usable questionnaires, the response rate was 24.68%. The findings showed that green purchasing and eco-design were found to improve all the components of sustainable performance. While reverse logistics was found to have a positive impact on social performance only. These relationships indicate that Green Supply Chain Management Practices can be of value to organizations specifically, as well to the external environment at large.Este artículo investiga los efectos de las prácticas de gestión de la cadena de suministro verde en el desempeño sostenible. Se necesitan más estudios en el área debido al inmenso impacto que puede traer al desempeño económico, ambiental y social de las empresas. Este estudio envío una encuesta a 616 empresas de fabricación con certificación ISO 14001 de Malasia, con un total de 152 cuestionarios utilizables, la tasa de respuesta fue del 24,68%. Los resultados mostraron que las compras ecológicas y el diseño ecológico mejoraron todos los componentes del rendimiento sostenible. Si bien se encontró que la logística inversa solo tiene un impacto positivo en el desempeño social. Estas relaciones indican que las prácticas de gestión de la cadena de suministro verde pueden ser valiosas para las organizaciones en particular, así como para el entorno externo en general

Closed-Loop Supply Chain Adoption and The Mediating Effect of Green Capabilities - Evidence from Malaysia

The concept of a closed-loop supply chain (CLSC) is concerned with the recovery of value from returned consumer products via resales. The rapidness of economic growth gives manufacturers no option but to shorten the product life cycle. Consequently, new versions following product upgrades happen too fast, increasing product returns in the form of End-of-Life (EOL) or End-of-Use returns. This issue has become crucial with a lack of processes for effectively handling product returns in Malaysia; thus, firms often use a third party, although this is considered improper by global standards. Therefore, this research aims to clarify the connection between Institutional Theory and the Natural Resource-Based View (NRBV) Theory in light of CLSC adoption in Malaysia. The findings highlight the role of government in overpowering competitors and customers in adopting a CLSC. The study’s limitations include presenting a formation of ideas that haven’t been previously linked in a research framework, setting the stage for more research in this area

Corporate Governance Development: New or Old Concept

Previous studies that dealt with Corporate Governance have concentrated on its importance and the necessity of its application. This paper has focused on the  history of corporate governance and its roots in the time that the audience and the majority of researchers believed that its existence and principles came by the rules of Sarbanes–Oxley Act and legislation in the United States of 2002. The experience of the auther over the years  in accounting and management and particularly in the discipline of corporate governance, in addition to depth literature review, all have been used to develop this research. It is concluded that despite common beliefs and debate for the period of corporate governance emergence in 2000s, corporate governance’s begining arose before a hundred of years. This study is important for investors and organizations as well to be aware of the necessity to apply corporate governance principles and mechanisms in all contries, being an ancient and precise system that has deep roots. This paper therefore provides useful information and clear picture to the researchers and practitioners about the reality of corporate governance’ history and roots. Keywords: Corporate governance, Agency theory, Histor