Impact evaluation of microfinance: A HEPM perspective

Microfinance services were primarily conceived for poverty alleviation and millions of borrowers have benefited across various countries. This study measures microfinance impact on borrowers from the following dimensions viz. enterprise, household, individual and security. The impact was measured by comparing the borrowers' poverty level before and after microfinance (within impact), and then with and without microfinance (between impact) using Household Economic Portfolio Model (HEPM). In general, it was observed that microfinance has had a favorable impact on borrowers. The income level of borrowers has increased after they availed the loan indicating that participant borrowers' financial position is better than that of the non-participant borrowers. The results confirm that both industry survival and growth are achievable thereby advocating that microfinance is a sustainable development tool in the current scenario. Hence, policymakers should continue framing strategies that are in favour of extending microfinance to micro-enterprises that are deprived of mainstream finance

Sustainable business model innovation and perspective of using microalgae to produce biofuel : a systematic literature review

The dependence on fossil oil has led to the search for alternative renewable energy resources, such as biomass, which has climbed to the top of the list of renewable energy solutions. It is not possible to separate these energy issues from environmental and sustainability concerns. Developing sustainable practices is essential for the continued expansion of countries’ and the world’s energy resources. The capacity to transition into new market models rapidly and efficiently is a critical source of sustained competitive advantage and leverage for increasing biofuel microalgae production sustainability. Given the issue’s importance, the causes of failure are mostly unknown, and there is only a limited thorough description of the sustainable business model innovation process in the literature. This study conducts a comprehensive review of the literature on the idea and technique of sustainable innovation in the microalgae business model. Multiple process phases of sustainable business model creation are described with a thorough list of major difficulties and obstacles connected with each step of the process. This study also looks into how management tools may be transformed into a process system and some insights into the process’s operational setup and performance variables

Quadruple helix engagement: Reviews on Syariah Fintech based SMEs digitalization readiness

The development of Syariah Financial Technology (Fintech) after Covid-19 has experienced significant fluctuations in affecting the country’s economy. The importance of the role of Financial Transactions in the digitalization readiness of SMEs makes a considerable contribution to the use of Financial Technology as an effort to maintain the sustainability of SMEs. Identification of the involvement of the quadruple Helix (government, investors, academics, and communities) in maintaining the financial stability of SMEs through Syariah Fintech emerged as new challenges and opportunities in improving the economy after Covid 19 in Indonesia. Therefore, a systematic literature review investigation regarding how to utilize Syariah fintech products adjusted to the degree of digitization is required to help SMEs’ sustainability and explore the role of the quadruple Helix in pursuing this success. We identified 110 papers published on Syariah Fintech for SMEs, SMEs Digitalization Readiness, and The Role of Quadruple Helix between 2003-2021 with 87 specifications from Scopus journals and 23 from proceedings conferences. The analysis was performed using Atlas. Ti 9 Software Packages on the above topic by limiting the discussion to inclusion and exclusion criteria. The literature review found a lack of study about the evaluation of Quadruple Helix Engagement for Syariah Fintech Based SMEs Digitalization Readiness. Thus, it needs to enhance a new Syariah fintech quadruple helix recommendation focusing on the SMEs’ digital readiness assessment to increase the utilization of proper Syariah fintech products for SMEs

Less for More: The Structural Effects of Lean Manufacturing Practices on Sustainability of Manufacturing SMEs in Malaysia

As one of the important determinants of the health of the global economy, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are responsible for several environmental degradations. The increase in resource consumption, climate change, biodiversity, water scarcity, and demographic changes and instability triggered society to consider sustainability issues. One of the operational initiatives related to sustainability is lean manufacturing (LM), which has become an imperative factor of organizational excellence in today’s volatile competitive market. However, it remains a critical question, does it positively affect corporate sustainability? This quantitative cross-sectional study examined the impact of LM on the triple bottom line (3BL) dimensions. A total of 159 manufacturing SMEs in Malaysia participated in this study. The analysis using the structural equation modeling (SEM) approach evidenced that the holistic implementation of LM practices contributes positively to all dimensions of 3BL. It implied that in order to enhance sustainability performance, SMEs should adopt the LM concepts holistically. This paper extends the boundary of knowledge by lessening the existing gaps in the literature to support the notion of potential implications LM on sustainability. Practitioners could grab benefits by understanding the critical initiatives and strategies towards the future sustainability of their businesses

The dynamics of ecological sustainability in housing delivery: Developers’ perspectives

Housing delivery is facing substantial environmental sustainability threats. Consequently, the housing industry is constantly adopting broad-based actions to sustain the environment and make delivery more efficient and risk-averse. Such regulatory models are sometimes targeted at the housing developers’ readiness, the dimensions of market volatility, technology, and the firm's resources. These variables are more profound within an emerging economic context such as Malaysia, and previous research investigating sustainability agenda in housing delivery has neglected their impacts within the housing developer's perspective. This study tested regional-scale hypotheses regarding predictors of ecological sustainability across the state of Sarawak Malaysia. It was hypothesised that the critical dynamics of technology, developer's readiness, resources, regulatory framework, market turbulence, and uncertainty would increase the likelihood of cumulative environmental sustainability in housing delivery. A sample of 221 Housing developers registered under the Sarawak Housing and Real Estate Developers’ Association and allied professionals were sent a self-report online survey instrument, and 144 completed questionnaires were returned, indicating a 65 per cent response rate. Subsequently, SPSS and SmartPLS were used for data analysis. SPSS was used for data screening, while SmartPLS was used to assess the measurement and structural models. Structural equation models show that improved technology, developer's readiness, and regulatory apparatus are the better correlated with environmental sustainability performance

Impact of Oil and Gas Internal Risk Factors on Project Success: Moderating role of Government Support

Organisational internal risk factors, which include management, material, finance, and design risk factors, affect oil and gas construction projects' success in emerging nations, in which Malaysia is no exception. The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of these internal risk factors and government support on oil and gas projects among sixty-one (61) employees of oil and gas firms using a questionnaire survey. The data collected were analysed using structural equation modelling (SEM) techniques. The results revealed that all the exogenous variables (design risk, management risk, financial risk and material risk factors and government support) significantly impact project success. According to the findings, all exogenous variables (design risk, management risk, financial risk, material risk factors, and government support) have substantial effects on project success. The study developed an all-inclusive framework that can assist stakeholders in the industry in mitigating internal risk factors in ensuring the success of projects. Policy implications and future study paths are considered

Factors influencing contractors risk attitudes among Kuantan Malaysian construction companies : the moderating role of government policy

One of the critical factors responsible for the successful management of construction projects is individual factors. These factors play a significant role in the decision-makers' attitudes towards risks management. Many previous studies regarding the management of construction projects have been focusing on the factors contributing to the success of risk management. However, little attention has been given to factors severely affecting the decision-makers' risk attitudes with particular reference to an individual's risk factors in construction companies. Therefore, this study aims to identify the individual factors affecting contractors' risk attitudes and then determine its relationship with government policy. Organizational control theory and Theory of planned behaviour was used to develop the theoretical framework that investigated G-7 contractors in the Kuantan Pahang, Malaysian construction companies. A review of relevant literature and questionnaire were adopted to identify the individual factors affecting contractors' risk attitudes. To achieve the proper response rate for this study, in total 160 questionnaires were distributed to the construction companies in Kuantan Malaysia randomly. Of the 160 questionnaires distributed, 6 questionnaires were not returned with an equal percentage of 3.75%, 154 questionnaires were received with an equal percentage of 96.25%. Conversely, 8 questionnaires were found to be unusable due to missing data with a percentage of 5.19%. Thus overall, 94.81% of the total questionnaires received were usable concluding with an effective sample of 146. Besides, a structural equation modelling approach was employed to examine the direct and moderating relationship as drawn by the hypotheses. Moreover, with quantitative research design following the positivist research paradigm, the methodology was designed to focus on the research questions and the objectives. The questionnaire was designed by using a closed interval measurement scale with proper care taken in designing the survey instruments. The results of this study through Structural equation modelling (SEM) proved that individual factors (Educational Background, Work Experience, Emotional Intelligence, Professional Competence and Physical Health) have a significant influence on contractor risk attitudes in Kuantan construction industry. The findings of this research also confirm that government policy (rules and regulations) plays a moderating role in enhancing the relationship of individual factors affecting contractors’ risk attitudes in construction companies in Kuantan. This implies that the findings of the study provide more understanding of the individual factors that affect contractors' risk attitudes to facilitate contractors' decision-making process and serve as a useful reference for further studies in the field of construction project management

Sustainable system for supply chain management in the Malaysian manufacturing industries: a review and research direction

Management teams across the industry have made significant improvements in innovative supply chain infrastructure and processes, and their facilities and products have since been significantly improved in several instances. Therefore, each of these businesses has progressed well past simple marginal improvements. Nevertheless, it is essential to be able to function smoothly through deeper connections across the whole supply chain path. It is crucial to combine the market operations, resources, and expertise to accomplish the business performance across the different channel participants in a win-win situation. A total of 77 articles were actively reviewed, including 50 Scopus journals and 27 conference papers spanning from years of publication 2003 to 2020. The implementation of sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) is a fundamental enabler that may drive businesses to concentrate on addressing environmental challenges and administering social and economic gains. Implementation reveals that this principle helps enterprises to obtain improved production, reduced operational costs and lower inventories. Therefore, this research intends to explain the scope of sustainable supply chain activities and introduce a sustainable supply chain management framework that can improve Malaysian manufacturing industries