Vol. 17 No. 3(I) (2025)

Oil and gas companies are renowned for their generous compensation packages in terms of recruiting and maintaining high-quality employees. However, despite such financial incentives, employee turnover remains an intractable issue, which implies that compensation alone may not suffice. The present study explores the most important factors in maintaining employee retention among oil and gas professionals who work in Kuala Lumpur. Specifically, it examines the inter-relationships between work-life balance, work environment, and compensation and their impact on staff retention. Largely rooted in Herzberg's Two-Factor Theory, the research employs a quantitative, exploratory approach and a structured questionnaire completed using Google Forms. 381 participant data will be collected and examined using SPSS Version 26 to perform correlation and regression tests. The findings aim to present pragmatic suggestions to organizations seeking to enhance employee retention strategies beyond monetary compensation, emphasizing the role of intrinsic motivators and organizational culture.

Volunteer decisions are heavily influenced by motivation, particularly when monetary rewards or recognition are not in play. While existing research has provided insights, there remains a gap in understanding specific motivational factors. This study aims to address this gap, focusing on the Malaysian Ministry of Youth and Sports, a significant choice due to its recent initiation and substantial volunteer base. The research concentrates on 508 trained Satria volunteers nationwide, utilizing a stratified sampling technique based on shared characteristics. Diverse analyses, including demographic, reliability, descriptive, correlation, and regression, were employed to uncover crucial insights. Positive correlations establish links between motivation and factors such as values, community involvement, interpersonal contacts, career orientation, and personal growth. Aligning opportunities with individuals' core beliefs, fostering a sense of belonging, emphasizing social aspects, linking volunteering to skill development, and highlighting intrinsic rewards are pivotal for maximizing volunteerism. The findings of this study shed light on the factors that influence volunteer motivation among the trained Satria volunteers registered with the Malaysian Ministry of Youth and Sports. These insights are particularly valuable for government agencies, as they pinpoint key motivational drivers that should be prioritized to encourage volunteers to dedicate their time and expertise to future volunteer opportunities. It also helps the ministry to design and implement future programs that align with the motivations, needs, and preferences of young people. By incorporating the identified motivational factors, the ministry hopes to create more engaging and effective volunteer opportunities, attracting and retaining young volunteers.

The research on task performance (TP) has grown linearly throughout the years. However, there is still a lack of complete understanding of the quantitative method to identify the perceived management support (PMS) for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), perceived customer support (PCS) for CSR, output control (OC), autonomous motivation (AM) and controlled motivation (CM) on task performance (TP), especially in Pengurusan Air Pahang Berhad (PAIP) context. Investigating the relationship between the perceived management support (PMS) for CSR, perceived customer support (PCS) for CSR, output control (OC), autonomous motivation (AM), controlled motivation (CM), and task performance (TP) is the primary purpose of this study to be conducted. According to the PAIP, in an interview session, the performance review session is held twice throughout the year: Mid-Year Performance Review and Final-Year Performance Review. However, the management noticed that the performance of the employees was not really well for the meter readers in PAIP.

The frustrations, expectations, and deadlines that accompany life in the contemporary world have, for many, become a default setting. Receiving different signals that upset our equilibrium, or that we consider a potential danger, is what, physically, we call stress. The seriousness of stress is highlighted by the fact that most people in the working population, during the period between 2021 and 2022, had cases of work-related health illness primarily attributed to work stress, depression, and anxiety. What is understood is that stress is a part of life, and it is certainly something that no one can run away from. The amount of stress that one has to go through in the workplace, particularly in the context of Malaysia, has been on the rise ever since the onset of the Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. A number of earlier researchers looked into the levels of stressful occupations in Malaysia and the reasons that can predict such stressful situations, and many such incidents were uncovered. Given the stressful nature of the pandemic, the government of Malaysia put in motion the Malaysia Civil Defense Force (MCDF), heavily referred to as the ‘Angkatan Pertahanan Awam Malaysia’. Given the nature of the work that the MCDF has to do, it is clear that stress is a huge problem. This thesis investigates the relationship between work stress and its underlying organizational, operational, and lifestyle causes among personnel at the MCDF Kuala Lumpur District Office. Utilizing Pearson Product Correlation Coefficient and Multiple Regression Analysis, the study supports the correlations between work stress and both organizational and operational causes, while lifestyle factors were found to be unsupported. The study underscores the importance of addressing these stressors to enhance employee well-being and productivity. Recommendations for MCDF include enhancing psychological support, improving occupational health and safety measures, and fostering effective communication within the organization. The research highlights the necessity for broader sample areas and multi-method data collection in future studies. Understanding these dynamics is critical for strategic decision-making and fostering a supportive work environment in high-stress government agencies.

Employee engagement has become a significant organizational concern in recent years and remains a top priority for employers in the globalized era. It refers to the level of commitment and participation that an employee has towards their organization and its core values. The challenging economic landscape in Malaysia during the MCO period has led many companies across various sectors to face the repercussions of employee disengagement, highlighting the need for scholarly research to develop strategies for maintaining employee engagement. Employee engagement fosters a positive mindset among staff towards their organization. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the connection between job characteristics, working environment, and perceived support on employee engagement among distance learning students in higher education institutions. A total of 115 students pursuing a bachelor's degree through distance learning at a higher education institution completed online questionnaires. The findings revealed a significant positive relationship between the working conditions and job characteristics as the two independent variables. However, the analysis indicated that organizational support does not exhibit a significant positive relationship with employee engagement in the context of distance learning students. This research underscores the benefits and inspires students, as well as leaders and managers across all industries in Malaysia, to effectively leverage their workforce's capabilities, commitment, and unrecognized talent, ultimately improving business performance in the future.

Employee retention is an important factor that any organization must consider if it hopes to stay relevant in the market. This paper seeks to examine the effect that compensation and benefits, training and development, working environment, and reward and recognition have on the retention of employees. The objective of this study is to examine the relationship between these independent variables with employee retention with the view to providing more insight into human resource management (HRM) practices. The measures of reliability analysis, descriptive analysis, correlational analysis, and regression analysis will be used as measures of strength and direction of these relationships. Questionnaires were distributed to employees working in selected shopping malls in Klang Valley using a quantitative approach, with a convenience sampling technique that ensures representativeness of data. Multiple regression analysis is performed using SPSS version 29. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Theory and Alderfer’s Theory provided a theoretical foundation for examining the relationship between compensation and benefits, training and development, working environment, and reward and recognition. The findings show that the working environment is the factor that most influences employee retention, followed by compensation and benefits, training, and development. However, the relationship between reward and recognition with employee retention is not significant. This study fills a gap in the existing literature by focusing on the Malaysian context and providing practical advice to Human Resource Management (HRM) practitioners. It underlines that strategic HRM practices are very important in promoting compensation and benefits, training and development, working environment, and reward and recognition. Overall, this study represents actionable ways in which organizations can design successful retention programs that facilitate modest turnover while allowing the corporation to grow.

Micro, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (MSMEs) have revolutionary prospects to improve sustainability and efficiency in the digital age thanks to the quick development of artificial intelligence (AI). Micro, Small, and Medium-Sized Enterprises (MSMEs) have revolutionary prospects to improve sustainability and efficiency in the digital age thanks to the quick development of artificial intelligence (AI). However, due to obstacles including scarce resources, a lack of technical experience, and unclear implementation pathways, MSMEs have yet to adopt AI despite its potential. By creating a Framework for AI-Driven Sustainable Enterprises (F.A.S.E.) to help MSMEs successfully integrate AI while adhering to social, economic, and environmental sustainability objectives, this study fills this crucial gap. This study employs a mixed-methods approach, integrating qualitative insights from interviews with AI specialists and MSME stakeholders with a systematic literature analysis on AI and sustainability in MSMEs. The methodology is then validated by the study using quantitative surveys of MSMEs in a variety of industries, evaluating the results, facilitators, and barriers of AI adoption. Key elements for successful AI enculturation are identified by the suggested F.A.S.E. framework, which includes organizational culture, skills development, financial accessibility, and technological preparedness. Preliminary evidence indicates that MSMEs utilizing AI report 20–35% increases in operational efficiency and 15–25% reductions in resource waste, underscoring AI's role in sustainable growth. The study advances theory by bridging the gap between the literature on AI adoption in the MSME setting and sustainability. From a practical standpoint, it offers a thorough strategy for MSMEs to adopt AI ethically, as well as policy recommendations for organizations and governments to support digital transformation. This study highlights the urgent need for structured AI frameworks tailored to MSMEs to support the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and allow them to participate in the rapidly digitized global economy. The F.A.S.E. framework is an essential tool for creating resilient, future-ready enterprises.

This article provides a comprehensive review of existing literature on the role of anchor or streamer characteristics in influencing impulse purchase decisions within the context of livestreaming commerce. Driven by the expansion of e-commerce, the popularity of impulse purchases has grown rapidly, particularly in the context of livestreaming commerce. Anchor or streamer characteristics, particularly attractiveness and professionalism, have been demonstrated to have a significant impact on impulse purchases in livestreaming commerce. Researchers have also discovered that the attractiveness of an anchor or streamer influences customers' trust, enjoyment, and emotional connections. On the other hand, professionalism increases consumers' trust, satisfaction, and purchase intentions. Given the larger benefits provided by attractiveness and professionalism factors, livestreaming marketers should take proper efforts to leverage these benefits. Online livestreaming marketers should also recruit and identify attractive anchors or streamers who are both beautiful and handsome for their livestreaming operations. However, even though an attractive anchor or streamer can help people make impulse purchases during livestreaming, relying too much on physical attractiveness can make other qualities, like knowledge and interaction, less important. Thus, the function of attractiveness should be combined with other things, like the type of product being promoted, trustworthiness, and knowledge factors. As for professionalism factors, anchors or streamers must continue to improve their understanding of the product's qualities (e.g., selling points, usage methods) to be more competent while endorsing it. To make live streaming more interesting and get people to buy products, anchors or streamers can share personal or professional opinions, experiences, and stories while answering viewers' questions. To balance professionalism and attractiveness, it is also recommended that anchors or streamers pay attention to social presence, since this is also one of the factors that leads to impulse purchase decisions in livestreaming commerce. Finally, this conceptual review paper has also concluded that the efficacy of professionalism and attractiveness attributes of attractiveness may vary based on regional and cultural differences.

The digital revolution has reshaped higher education, particularly in Malaysia, where work-life balance ranks among the lowest globally. The transformation to digital work has greatly affected both the professional and personal lives of lecturers, raising questions about its broader impact. This study set out to examine how digital work influences work-life balance based on the technology affordances theory and determine whether user experience moderates this relationship. The study, which utilised IBM SPSS, analysed the relationship among five technology affordances (communication, coordination, knowledge sharing, decision-making, and access to resources) and work-life balance, with user experience tested as a potential moderating variable. The results showed that lecturers generally had positive attitudes towards technology affordances, with coordination receiving the highest ratings, followed by decision-making and access to resources. The correlation analysis revealed statistically significant and moderately positive relationships between work-life balance and all five affordances. The regression analysis identified access to resources as the strongest determinant of work-life balance, while coordination and knowledge sharing also had meaningful positive effects. However, communication and decision-making tools made only minimal or statistically insignificant contributions. User experience was not found to moderate the relationship between technology affordances and work-life balance. Overall, this study highlights which technology factors matter most for supporting work-life balance in higher education. It also provides practical recommendations for institutions seeking to improve their digital work environments. The findings emphasise the importance of resource accessibility, user-friendly tool design, and the need for continuous training and a supportive organisational culture.

Medical doctors in Malaysia’s public healthcare system frequently contend with excessive workloads, unclear expectations, and competing responsibilities. These workplace conditions can lead to role stressors, which are significantly correlated with burnout. Burnout, in turn, may negatively affect not only the medical doctors’ mental health but also the quality of patient care. Despite growing concerns, empirical research on the link between role stressors, specifically role ambiguity and burnout among Malaysian public healthcare doctors remains limited. This study aims to address the gap by examining the relationship using a quantitative approach. This quantitative study employed a cross-sectional survey design involving 471 medical doctors from public hospitals across Malaysia. Standardized instruments were used to measure role (using the Role Stressor Scale) and burnout (using the Maslach Burnout Inventory). Data were analyzed using SPSS and PLSSEM, employing descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and multiple regression to examine the strength and direction of the relationships between variables. A total of 471 medical doctors from eight state hospitals across Malaysia participated in the study, representing various grades and clinical departments. The measurement model demonstrated good convergent and internal reliability, with all constructs exceeding recommended thresholds (Average Variance Extracted [AVE] > 0.50 and Composite Reliability [CR] > 0.70). Structural model analysis using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) revealed that role ambiguity significantly influenced burnout. Bootstrapping with 5,000 resamples confirmed the significance of the path from role ambiguity to burnout, with a path coefficient of 0.147 and a t-value of 4.207. The findings point to a clear link between role ambiguity and burnout among medical doctors in Malaysia’s public healthcare sector. This highlights the need for practical organisational efforts such as providing clearer job descriptions, ensuring balanced workloads, and offering effective stress management support. Tackling role-related stress not only supports the mental well-being of healthcare professionals but also helps strengthen the overall quality of care delivered to patients.