Vol. 16 No. 3S(I)a (2024)

The increasing complexity and globalization of supply chains necessitate robust risk management strategies to ensure safety and resilience. Traditional risk assessment methods often fall short in dynamically adapting to the rapidly changing conditions and voluminous data inherent in modern supply chains. This study explores the potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered risk assessment to address these limitations in the context of Malaysia's supply chain industry. By employing AI technologies such as machine learning, IoT, and predictive analytics, organizations can significantly enhance their risk management capabilities, improving predictive accuracy, real-time monitoring, and overall operational efficiency. Through a qualitative analysis involving in-depth interviews with supply chain managers, AI experts, and technology vendors, the study identifies the strategies employed for AI integration, the perceived effectiveness of these technologies, and the challenges faced in implementation. The findings highlight the importance of robust data governance, the development of explainable AI models, and continuous skill development to overcome barriers related to data quality, model interpretability, and high implementation costs. The study concludes with recommendations for fostering a safer and more resilient logistics environment in Malaysia, emphasizing the need for comprehensive AI adoption frameworks and scalable solutions for small and medium-sized enterprises.

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly disrupted global supply chains, exposed their vulnerabilities and underscored the urgent need for enhanced resilience. In Malaysia, the pandemic's impact on supply chains has been profound, prompting a re-evaluation of existing strategies and frameworks. This study explores the integration of Resource-Based Theory (RBT) and Contingency Theory (CT) to enhance supply chain resilience in Malaysia. Through in-depth case studies and semi-structured interviews with senior managers and supply chain professionals, this research identifies key factors contributing to the successful implementation of an integrated resilience framework. The findings reveal that firms leveraging advanced technology, skilled workforce, and strategic partnerships can maintain operational efficiency and adaptability. Context-specific strategies such as diversifying suppliers, local sourcing, strategic stockpiling, and flexible logistics solutions are essential in responding to disruptions. Common challenges include high initial costs, coordination issues, regulatory hurdles, and cultural resistance to change. The integration of RBT and CT results in improved supply chain visibility, flexibility, robustness, and stakeholder collaboration. This study contributes to the academic discourse by offering practical insights for firms seeking to enhance supply chain resilience. It underscores the importance of combining internal strengths with adaptive strategies tailored to the external environment. The findings provide valuable guidance for both academia and industry in developing more robust and adaptive supply chain strategies in the post-pandemic landscape. Future research should explore the integration of RBT and CT across different contexts and industries and investigate the role of emerging technologies in enhancing supply chain resilience.

Small 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.

The overnight interbank rate is an essential factor for central banks to impact economic activity and preserve financial stability. It refers to the rate at which banks lend and borrow short-term funds from one another, often overnight. The overnight interbank rate plays a crucial role in the transmission mechanism of monetary policy since changes in the rate can affect the cost of borrowing and the availability of credit, which in turn impacts consumption, investment, and economic activity. According to Bank Negara Malaysia (2021), overnight transactions in the interbank market run in parallel to the existing Kuala Lumpur Interbank Offered Rate (KLIBOR). This study intends to explore time series data from 1991 to 2021 to identify the relationship between dependent and independent variables based on the ordinary least square method (OLS). Meanwhile, the study investigates whether macroeconomic variables influence the overnight interbank rate in Malaysia. Therefore, this study uses the determinant of economic indicators of unemployment (UR), domestic private credit (DGR), gross domestic product (GDP), foreign exchange (FER), and inflation (I). The data comes primarily from the World Bank and the Federal Reserve Bank (FRED). Based on results demonstrate that unemployment and inflation have the most significant impacts on monetary policy. The reason why unemployment has an impact on economic growth is that high unemployment frequently indicates resource underuse, pointing to the need for stimulative monetary policy (such as decreasing interest rates) to promote investment and expenditure and promote economic growth. To slow down the economy and cut expenditure, central banks typically raise interest rates in response to rising inflation. On the other hand, declining inflation may lead to rate reductions to boost the economy. This is a significant element of inflation in monetary policy.

This study explores the impact of customer satisfaction on purchasing behavior within convenience stores, focusing on four key determinants: service quality, perceived value, product quality, and trust, perceived value, and trust. The growing population and increasing consumer demand have prompted companies to enhance productivity and service standards across their convenience store branches. To maintain competitiveness and attract a diverse customer base—comprising existing, new, and potential customers— businesses need to review and refine their operational strategies continuously. The study’s methodology involved a structured approach to gathering quantitative data from a specific sample of convenience store customers in Bentong City. By using surveys and questionnaires, the research aimed to capture relevant information directly from the consumers, providing insights into their experiences and satisfaction with the convenience stores. The non-probability convenience sampling method facilitated the collection of data from readily available participants, ensuring a practical and timely data collection process. Using a data set collected from 220 respondents who utilized products and services at a convenience store, this research aims to empirically investigate the relationships between service quality, perceived value, product quality, and trust, perceived value, trust, and overall customer satisfaction. The findings indicate that while all four factors contribute to customer satisfaction, service quality, perceived value, and trust exert a significantly stronger influence compared to product quality. These insights underscore the importance of prioritizing service enhancement, value creation, and trust-building initiatives in the strategic management of convenience stores, thereby ensuring sustained customer satisfaction and loyalty.

This study adapted some of the dimensions in the ES-QUAL model that contribute to e-satisfaction, with additional factors of e-trust and perceived value about repurchase intention among young adults in an online shopping setting. The research methodology involved a sample size of 103 full-time students of Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) Retail Management (Hons.) in UiTM Puncak Alam aged between 18 to 26 years old, utilizing a structured adapted questionnaire to capture demographic profiles and components of e- satisfaction, e-trust and perceived value about repurchase intention. The descriptive statistics show a substantial increase, with the highest mean obtained by e-satisfaction, followed by perceived value and e-trust. In addition, the finding implies that there is a high degree of repurchase intention among these students.

This paper explores the potential of computer-assisted qualitative data analysis software (CAQDAS), specifically Nvivo 14, in facilitating the qualitative evaluation of multiple case studies. The focus is on halal purchasing strategies within micro and small enterprises (MSEs) in the food industry, a critical issue from a Shariah perspective that ensures halal integrity from source to consumer. The issue highlights that MSE leaders in Malaysia’s food industry failed to optimize halal purchasing in their management practices, which undermines their ability to increase probability. The objective is to explore the strategies for optimizing halal purchasing performance of MSEs in Malaysia’s food industry, on how these businesses navigate the requirements of halal compliance in their operational practices. Through an exploratory study, 10 MSEs were examined to investigate their halal purchasing structures, involving interviews with key stakeholders such as brand owners, company directors, halal executives, and CEOs. In-depth, semi-structured interviews provided insights into company structures, challenges, and halal purchasing strategies. Thematic analysis was employed, using an inductive pattern coding approach where codes emerged organically from the data and were categorized into themes and sub-themes. Findings revealed a variety of business types, with six individually owned companies and four family-run businesses, highlighting differences in employee numbers, business longevity, and owner demographics. The study also suggests a trend of generational succession in familyowned businesses. This research demonstrates the utility of CAQDAS in managing and analyzing complex qualitative data in case study research.

This study analyses the impact of the pandemic on the financial performance of airlines, with a specific focus on financial ratios. The travel limitations imposed as a result of the pandemic, coupled with a significant decline in passenger demand, resulted in significant financial losses. This study investigates how passenger demand moderates the relationship between financial ratios and the performance of the aviation industry. This study gathered data from 20 premier Asian airline companies, as acknowledged by Skytrax. The data was collected from 2016 to 2022, with the timeframe from 2016 to 2019 designated as the 'pre-Covid19' period, and the timeframe from 2020 to 2022 designated as the 'during Covid19' period. The study uses static panel data analysis to accomplish its objective by integrating cross-sectional and time series analysis. Based on this analysis, it was determined that the company's financial condition had a substantial impact on its performance and operating worth before the COVID-19 outbreak. This influence was observed across all variables, except TATO (Total Assets Turnover). However, the company’s financial condition does not affect its performance during the COVID-19 outbreak. This is due to the implementation of government initiatives and bailouts offered some respite, while also underscoring pre-existing structural weaknesses within the business. The results emphasize the crucial requirement for airlines to implement adaptable financial strategies and strong risk management techniques to successfully navigate future disruptions. Hence, the aviation sector should embrace a comprehensive strategy centered on minimizing expenses, expanding income sources, and implementing digitalization.

The rising frequency and severity of natural disasters have intensified the need for comprehensive motor insurance, particularly focusing on special perils coverage. This coverage plays a vital role in safeguarding vehicle owners against financial losses resulting from environmental hazards such as floods, landslides, and other catastrophic events. This study investigates the factors that influence vehicle owners' intentions to extend special perils coverage within their motor insurance policies in Klang Valley, Malaysia. A quantitative and descriptive research approach was adopted, employing convenience sampling techniques, with data analyzed using descriptive statistics through the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) to extract valuable insights. A structured survey involving 100 vehicle owners examines the impact of knowledge, promotional efforts, and perceived benefits on their decisions to opt for extended special perils coverage. The findings highlight that these three factors - knowledge, promotion, and benefits - significantly influence the decision-making process. The study's insights are valuable for insurance companies, policymakers, and educational institutions in crafting strategies to encourage the wider adoption of special perils coverage. By increasing awareness, enhancing promotional efforts, and communicating the benefits of such coverage, stakeholders can better meet the needs of vehicle owners and boost the uptake of comprehensive motor insurance. This study underscores the importance of a multifaceted approach in promoting insurance products that offer essential protection against escalating environmental risks.

This study investigates the relationships between urbanization, economic growth, energy consumption, transportation, and carbon emissions in seven ASEAN countries from 2011 to 2022. As released by the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 80 percent of the world’s population living in urban areas were exposed to air quality levels that were above the WHO limits. The region that is most affected comes from those nations categorized as low to middle-income countries. Hence, it is best to examine why these 7 ASEAN nations categorized from the lower to upper-middle income countries are not able to control the increase in the level of their carbon emissions. The analysis would also identify the appropriate empirical model suitable for the data. Using panel data analysis applying econometric modeling which are the Pooled Ordinary Least Square, Fixed Effects Model, and Random Effects Model, the findings support the Environmental Kuznets Curve hypothesis, revealing that urbanization and economic growth significantly increase carbon emissions. The study emphasizes the need for renewable energy adoption and sustainable urban planning to reduce carbon footprints. Key recommendations include enhancing energy efficiency and promoting cleaner transportation technologies to achieve sustainable economic growth in the ASEAN region.