This chapter relies on comparative case analysis to examine how and why particular social entrepreneurs in a higher Asian middle income economy broke new grounds in private higher…
Abstract
This chapter relies on comparative case analysis to examine how and why particular social entrepreneurs in a higher Asian middle income economy broke new grounds in private higher education. The study provides arguments as to why these private higher education entrepreneurs, when viewed inclusively, are social entrepreneurs. Findings from the study suggest that social entrepreneurs distinctively used prior insights from their working experiences to harness the financial power of local capital to fund the scaling up of their social ventures while simultaneously engaging with the country’s economic and social challenges.
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Jeffrey S.S. Cheah, ShihYee Loh and Angappa Gunasekaran
Social entrepreneurship has the potential to address societal challenges, and high-education students are expected to be future social leaders. However, engagement in social…
Abstract
Purpose
Social entrepreneurship has the potential to address societal challenges, and high-education students are expected to be future social leaders. However, engagement in social entrepreneurship remains low in many countries. This study aims to investigate the mediating role of motivational mechanisms (i.e. self-efficacy, social support and social worth) in the relationship between prosocial personality and social entrepreneurial intentions (SEIs).
Design/methodology/approach
Based on the theory of planned behaviour, the authors conducted a survey of 292 valid respondents from 35 major public and private universities. The collected data were analysed using the structural equation modelling technique. The reliability of the measurements and the model’s predictive capabilities are substantial and assured.
Findings
The findings suggest that prosocial personality alone does not directly predict social entrepreneurial behaviour. However, motivational forces are dominant mediators in the relationship between prosocial personality and SEIs. Specifically, self-efficacy, social support and social worth significantly mediate this relationship.
Research limitations/implications
The findings of this study provide insights into why prior studies on this topic has produced contradictory results.
Practical implications
The authors recommend that universities and policymakers provide adequate cognitive learning experiences, capacity-building programmes, funding support and recognition to enhance graduates’ inner strength and foster SEIs.
Originality/value
The empirical results resolve the contradictions found in many prior studies and highlight the importance of supportive mechanisms when promoting SEI in emerging regions.
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Jeffrey S.S. Cheah, Qinni Yeoh and Yanto Chandra
This study aims to examine the influences of causation strategy, entrepreneurial orientation and social orientation on the social enterprise’s (SE) financial performance and…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine the influences of causation strategy, entrepreneurial orientation and social orientation on the social enterprise’s (SE) financial performance and social achievement.
Design/methodology/approach
The partial least square structural equational modelling technique was used to analyse survey data collected from Malaysian and Singaporean SEs (n = 96).
Findings
The findings have important guidance for policymakers, social entrepreneurs and researchers interested in promoting the growth and impact of SEs in emerging regions.
Practical implications
This study offers several practical implications for social entrepreneurs who want to achieve both financial and social success.
Originality/value
There is no widely accepted performance framework for SE. Most research in SE is descriptive and conceptual in nature. Larger data sets from the nascent ecology of SE are even scarcer. This study developed and examined a performance framework specifically designed to meet the needs of SEs operating in the emerging region.
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Jeffrey S. S. Cheah, Azlan Amran, Mahendran Kirubakaran, Daniel J. Lang, Pek-Fuen Su and Jenn-Weng Chu
This study aims to illuminate the limited understanding of viable social business among corporate actors in developing countries. It addresses pressing environmental and societal…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to illuminate the limited understanding of viable social business among corporate actors in developing countries. It addresses pressing environmental and societal problems, emphasizing the need for corporate participation in sustainable solutions. Additionally, the study explores the transformational business notion linking company achievement with social progress, an increasingly studied concept in management.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on a transdisciplinary case study (i.e. a university-industry collaboration [UIC]), this study proposed a structural framework and guiding principles to integrate the academic and practitioners’ different but complementary resources and expertise.
Findings
The outcomes could provide insights for social entrepreneurs to perform highly optimal decisions on their organisational strategies, in which the financial-then-social pathway could be an effective social business success mechanism.
Originality/value
Besides, the case study also generates each five learning lessons and challenges coping strategies that provide practical guidance on operationalising an effective UIC. The empirical findings contribute to social entrepreneurship and sustainability science literature.
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The purpose of this research is to assess the implementation of sustainable practice by Malaysian property developers, particularly on social and environmental perspectives.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this research is to assess the implementation of sustainable practice by Malaysian property developers, particularly on social and environmental perspectives.
Design/methodology/approach
This is a qualitative research where content analysis is used to analyse leading property companies’ websites, annual reports, corporate responsibility and sustainability reports, and carbon disclosure reports.
Findings
Findings from this research indicate that the majority of the developers have their corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives in place and there are variations in their approaches and reporting process. Of all, philanthropic activities are the mostly widely reported followed by human resource initiatives. Even though the majority of property companies reported their environmental practices, only the top few developers had their projects certified by sustainability rating agencies.
Research limitations/implications
As this project was restricted to the top ten Malaysian developers, the results do not reflect how other companies, particularly the smaller ones, adopt CSR in their business. However, this project revealed valuable findings regarding the magnitude of CSR initiatives, particularly on social and environmental perspective, adopted by the top ten Malaysian property developers; this is useful for the Malaysian government authorities in formulating CSR‐related policies particularly on environmental sustainability. As well, the findings of this project can be a useful reference to other property companies which are keen to contribute to sustainable development, particularly on social and environmental perspectives.
Originality/value
There has been limited literature on CSR in the Malaysian property industry thus far. Previous research papers are mainly about environmental sustainability of property companies, sustainable practice by Malaysian real estate investment trusts, and CSR perception of house buyers and developers. Therefore, to fill the gap in the literature, this research is designed to assess the implementation of sustainable practice by Malaysian property developers, particularly on the social and environmental perspectives.
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Jeffrey Cheah, Sweet Ying Leong and Yudi Fernando
Not all innovative ideas or approaches commonly implemented by larger companies apply to smaller firms in all regions. Innovation that does not imply company achievements might…
Abstract
Purpose
Not all innovative ideas or approaches commonly implemented by larger companies apply to smaller firms in all regions. Innovation that does not imply company achievements might exhaust their limited resources and cause the market to be uncompetitive. This paper aims to answer two research questions: (1) Do innovation strategies, such as process, marketing and social innovation, affect the performance of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)? (2) Does company size moderate the relationship between social and marketing innovations with SMEs' performance?
Design/methodology/approach
This paper proposed three innovation strategies (i.e. social, marketing and process innovations) influencing Malaysian SMEs' performance. There were 123 valid respondents from SMEs, and the data were analysed using a structural equation modelling partial least square (SEM-PLS) technique.
Findings
The research findings advocate that process innovation directly impacts SMEs' performance, not marketing innovation. Interestingly, the influence of social innovation on organisation performance is only significant when the company size becomes more prominent. Companies can provide consistent and continuous social enhancement that arouses public trust and reputation with more resources and capabilities. Also, smaller companies might concentrate their scarce resources on process innovation with instant beneficial potential instead of a sophisticated marketing strategy.
Originality/value
There is limited empirical research examining how different innovation strategies, especially social innovation, affect SMEs' performance in developing countries. Furthermore, the second-generation analysis (PLS-SEM) technique provides more systematic and comprehensive results.
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Michelle Lowe, Roxanne Khan, Vanlal Thanzami, Mahsa Barzy and Rozina Karmaliani
Although intimate partner violence (IPV) and “honor”-based violence (HBV) are major concerns throughout the world, little research has investigated the acceptance of these forms…
Abstract
Purpose
Although intimate partner violence (IPV) and “honor”-based violence (HBV) are major concerns throughout the world, little research has investigated the acceptance of these forms of abuse outside of the West. The purpose of this paper is to therefore respond to this gap in the literature by exploring attitudes toward HBV in a fictional depiction of IPV across four Asian samples: India, Iran, Malaysia and Pakistan.
Design/methodology/approach
Participants (n=579) read a hypothetical scenario in which a husband, despite his own marital infidelity, verbally abuses and physically assaults his wife after discovering that she has been unfaithful. Participants then completed a questionnaire that assessed perceptions of damage to the husband’s honor, approval of intimate partner HBV against the wife, and perceptions of both the victim-wife and the perpetrator-husband.
Findings
The findings revealed that more males than females, across all four nations, were endorsing of honor-adhering attitudes in response to the perceived threat to the husband’s reputation resulting from the wife’s infidelity. Additionally, of the four samples, Pakistani participants were the most approving and Malaysians least endorsing of honor-adhering attitudes.
Originality/value
The results are discussed in relation to studies of honor-adherence in Asian populations. This study provides an original glimpse into the perceptions of intimate partner HBV in these not-often sampled nationalities.
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Jeffrey Boon Hui Yap and Sin Yi Cheah
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the major challenges faced by Chinese international contractors (CICs) in the Malaysian construction industry.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the major challenges faced by Chinese international contractors (CICs) in the Malaysian construction industry.
Design/methodology/approach
An exploratory sequential mixed-methods research approach was adopted where following a detailed literature review and semi-structured interviews with local professionals, 20 prevalent challenges experienced by CICs are identified. Subsequently, a questionnaire survey was used to elicit the views of 100 construction practitioners. Descriptive statistics were used to prioritise the challenges, while exploratory factor analysis was conducted to uncover the underlying factors.
Findings
The five most crucial challenges identified relate to: changes of regulation, cost control, contract clauses, language barrier and quality control. Exploratory factor analysis revealed four major underlying dimensions of these challenges, in connection to financial and government policy management, organisational performance management, supplier relationship management and cross-cultural management.
Research limitations/implications
The challenges are considered primarily involving CICs in the context of Malaysia; further work can be extended to Western or other East Asian, such as Japanese and Korean, international contractors undertaking construction projects in Malaysia or selected developing countries around the region.
Practical implications
This study will benefit professionals involved with China-backed construction projects in countries sharing demographics and socio-economic characteristics akin to Malaysia. The outcome of the study is expected to facilitate project managers to devise proactive risk-mitigation measures to reduce the impact of these challenges and to improve project delivery.
Originality/value
The paper examined the challenges faced by CICs in the Malaysian context. This is a timely study, as China’s Belt and Road Initiative will provide considerable opportunities for Chinese companies in Malaysia.
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This study examines the institutional setting and decision-making structures among key industry actors in the Malaysian housing industry, using the IMP network approach and…
Abstract
Purpose
This study examines the institutional setting and decision-making structures among key industry actors in the Malaysian housing industry, using the IMP network approach and institutional theory as theoretical lenses. The purpose of this study is to uncover the role of NGOs, housing developers and the government at a collective level within a highly regulated housing market. This study uses “relationships” as the unit of analysis, focusing on triadic interactions of NGOs, housing developers and the government.
Design/methodology/approach
This study applies the qualitative case-study-research approach, using 20 in-depth interviews from the purposefully selected industry actors within the housing market, online observations and documents.
Findings
The findings suggest that NGOs play an influential role in housing-industry interactions and outcomes. In particular, the Real Estate and Housing Developers Association can influence the members’ decisions through supportive and disruptive actions.
Originality/value
This study contributes to our understanding of how NGOs interact with their regulator and housing developers and how these three parties co-evolve and respond to institutional demands in a housing market that is bound by a highly restricted housing policy. By understanding how actors interact within a network and how it affects each other’s decision, it may assist policymakers in formulating policies that can improve market efficiency. It also aids businesses in formulating their collective strategies.
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Paula Lado, Marselino K.P.A. Keraf, Apris Adu, Andrian Liem and Indra Yohanes Kiling
Gratitude is an element of positive psychology that has been found effective in improving subjective well-being and decreasing aggression in offenders. However, there is a dearth…
Abstract
Purpose
Gratitude is an element of positive psychology that has been found effective in improving subjective well-being and decreasing aggression in offenders. However, there is a dearth of studies on gratitude in ex-juvenile offenders. This study aims to explore the gratitude of ex-juvenile offenders using a photovoice technique.
Design/methodology/approach
Photos and stories behind pictures were collected from eight ex-juvenile offenders who reside in Kupang, Indonesia.
Findings
Thematic analysis resulted in four main themes: family as an oasis of gratitude, difficulty in social reintegration, strong peer support and gratitude and spirituality.
Originality/value
The results of this study indicated that family, peer support and intensive spiritual activities in prisons were influential in forming a sense of gratitude for ex-juvenile offenders. Interventions need to consider these three aspects to improve gratitude and resulting well-being in ex-juvenile offenders.