Author

  • Firdaus Ahmad Fauzi

    • Department of Foodservice Management, Faculty of Hotel and Tourism Management, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia
    • Malaysia

  • Noorliza Karia

    • Operations Management Section, School of Management, Universiti Sains Malaysia
    • Malaysia

  • Wan Hayati Wan Bujang

    • Department of Foodservice Management, Faculty of Hotel and Tourism Management, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia
    • Malaysia

  • Zubaidah Mohd Ali Tan

    • Department of Foodservice Management, Faculty of Hotel and Tourism Management, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia
    • Malaysia

  • Nurul Hijja Mazlan

    • Fakulti Komunikasi dan Pengajian Media, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia
    • Malaysia

Abstract

Promoted by both Multi-National Companies (MNCs) and Small-Medium Enterprises (SMEs), Malaysia's Halal industry is flourishing, contributing billions of RM to the nation's economy and proving its potential for further growth. However, unlike MNCs, most Small-Medium Food Enterprises (SMFEs) face numerous challenges in obtaining Halal certification. As a result, this study aimed to investigate the difficulties experienced by SMFEs that have successfully acquired Halal certification. Using a qualitative approach, detailed face-to-face interviews were conducted with the aid of semi-structured questionnaires and audio recorders to achieve the study's objective of identifying the barriers to Halal certification faced by SMFEs. The research focused on Penang state, where the population of Halal-certified SMFEs was sourced from and screened by Jabatan Agama Islam Pulau Pinang (JAIPP), resulting in a vetted list of 25 potential respondents. Interviews were conducted with 12 respondents until data saturation was reached. The recorded audio data was transcribed, and the transcripts were analyzed using ATLAS. TI software. Demographic data underwent frequency analysis, while thematic analysis was applied to the transcribed data, generating nine codes, which were graphically represented by their relative themes and networks. The findings of this study, particularly the developed model, offer valuable insights into the issues at hand and could potentially assist SMFEs in achieving Halal certification successfully.

Keywords

References

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How to Cite

Fauzi, F. A., Karia, N., Wan Bujang, W. H., Mohd Ali Tan, Z., & Mazlan, N. H. (2025). Unveiling Barriers: A Qualitative Study on Halal Certification for SMFEs in Penang. Information Management and Business Review, 17(3(I)S), 254-266. https://doi.org/10.22610/imbr.v17i3(I)S.4516

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Copyright (c) 2025 Firdaus Ahmad Fauzi, Noorliza Karia, Wan Hayati Wan Bujang, Zubaidah Mohd Ali Tan, Nurul Hijja Mazlan (Author)

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Published in

Vol. 17 No. 3(I)S (2025) Digital Leadership, AI-Assisted Learning & Inclusive Workforce View issue contents

Published

2025-10-14

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