Commerce

Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia (AIM) adalah merupakan organisasi yang bertanggungjawab untuk menyediakan bantuan kewangan dan khidmat nasihat perniagaan kepada usahawan Kecil dan Sederhana di Malaysia. Kajian ini bertujuan untuk mengenalpasti faktor-faktor yang mempengaruhi kejayaan usahawan kecil MARA di Negeri Perlis Indera Kayangan. Kajian ini memberikan tumpuan terhadap empat faktor utama yang mempengaruhi kejayaan usahawan kecil MARA iaitu minat, bantuan kewangan, kemahiran dan latihan dan perkembangan teknologi. Untuk tujuan ini, seramai 81 orang usahawan kecil yang telah mendapat pembiayaan daripada MARA telah dipilih sebagai responden. Kajian ini menggunakan pendekatan kuantitatif dan instrumen digunakan untuk mengutip data adalah menggunakan kaedah borang soalselidik. Hasil dapatan kajian telah dianalisis menggunakan kaedah statistik mudah iaitu analisa min. Bagi memudahkan penganalisaan, perisian SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Science) telah digunakan. Keputusan kajian secara umumnya menunjukkan faktor kemahiran dan latihan adalah faktor utama yang mempengaruhi kejayaan usahawan kecil MARA. Manakala faktor minat, bantuan kewangan dan perkembangan teknologi merupakan faktor yang signifikan mempengaruhi kejayaan usahawan kecil MARA. Kata Kunci: Usahawan Kecil , Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA)

Disebabkan kepesatan perubahan dan persaingan yang sengit bagi pasaran dunia pada masa kini, orang ramai berusaha gigih mengendalikan perniagaan secara moden dan maju bagi mengekalkan kelebihan persaingan yang kompetitif dan mendapatkan keuntungan. Laman web adalah satu cara yang digemari bagi mengendalikan perniagaan untuk mendapatkan apa juga barangan melalui Internet.

Critical Success Factor (CSF) is the most important element for firms in existing industry to achieve competitive edge. CSF demonstrates the performance whether an enterprise has been successful and unsuccessful in achieving its target mission and vision formulated before the enterprise was formed. Organisation that are able to indentify and utilised CSF will develop its uniqueness in achieving its competitive edge. This study focused on critical success factors of small businesses that received funding under the micro credit scheme in Johor. A total of 233 small entrepreneurs under the TEKUN micro credit scheme were selected for this study. The research was conducted to determine the critical success factors prevalent among TEKUN entrepreneurs in Johor. The objective of the study is also to explore sectors preferred by most TEKUN entrepreneurs. The study identified key and critical factors that are essential for the success of the entrepreneurs and their firm. Ways to enhanced these factors were also proposed. Data collection methods involved interviews with key informants from YTN and by sending in questionnaires to respondent who were successful in obtaining the second TEKUN credit micro funding. Respondents were selected fromthe area of Mersing, Kota Tinggi, Pontian, Tebrau, Johor Bahru and Gelang Patah. The result of the study indicates that the three major critical factors of TEKUN entrepreneurs were management skills, work specialization and persistency (never give up).

This study reviewed the literature on the "Resource-based view" (RBV) theory and its relationship with the entrepreneurial orientation and organizational performance variables. Detailed discussion is made for the importance of this theory to the relationship between these two variables. The use of RBV theory to the organization found to have significant relevance in the relationship between entrepreneurship-oriented behavior and organizational performance. The suitability to these relationship had caused the RBV theory to be lifted as one of the theoretical framework used in many studies in the field of management.

Business performance plays an important role for the survival of a firm's operations. In relation to that, this study focuses on the aspect of business performance among co-operative firms. The objectives of this study are to measure the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation (independent variable) and market orientation and the participation of the members (moderators) toward business performance. The entrepreneurial orientation strategies consist of five constructs: innovativeness, proactiveness, risk-taking, autonomy and competitive aggressiveness, while market orientation involves three constructs: customer orientation, competitor orientation
and coordination between departments, and the participation of the members which contains one construct. This study involved a sample of 331 out of 2,561 micro-, small- and medium-sized co-operative f m s in the northern region of Peninsular Malaysia. A test on the hypotheses was conducted through multiple and hierarchical regression analysis. In the first step, the regression analysis results showed that three control variables, which included small-sized, medium-aged and young-aged firms influenced the business performance. Meanwhile, in the second step, the analysis revealed that two entrepreneurial orientation constructs: innovativeness (I3 = .072, p<.05) and proactiveness (13 = .082, p c.05) were directly and positively related to a higher business performance. Furthermore, the third step showed that only customer
orientation was significantly related to business performance. Lastly, the fourth step successfully traced the moderate interaction of the coordination between departments towards the relationship of risk-taking with business performance (13 = 2.526, p <.01) and autonomy with business performance (13 = -2161, p <.01). This study highlighted the positive role of innovativeness and proactiveness constructs in improving the business performance of the co-operative firms. In addition, this study also revealed the need to make alignments in firms' behavior of coordination between departments. This is caused by the results of moderate interaction which was significant but not parallel with each other; positive (with risk-taking and business
performance) and negative (with autonomy and business performance). The theoretical and management implications in detail as well as recommendations for future research are also discussed.

Scholars in management and strategy found that the participation of members correlated with business performance. However, the business performance of cooperatives in Malaysia does not clearly show this trend. As such, this study aims to examine the level of members " participation and its correlation with the cooperatives " business performance. The members " participation constructs were decision making, share capital and the usage of products and services measured through multi-dimensional analysis, despite current literature that focuses on unidimensional construct. Data was collected using the survey of 148 members of Koperasi PTSS Berhad. By using descriptive analysis, the result shows that usage of products and service was the highest level of members " participation, followed by share capital and decision-making. While correlation analysis found that all three variables had a significant positive relationship with the cooperatives " business performance. These findings are useful as they contribute to a better understanding of the members " participation constructs as well as relationship strategies to link with the cooperatives " business performance. Several suggestions have been made for future research.

Online business is getting popular among entrepreneurs in Malaysia, including young entrepreneurs who titled of student. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the personal background, self-motivation and online experience and its correlation to the entrepreneurial behaviors of students' online business. The study population comprised of 4053 students of Polytechnic Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin with a sample size of 351 individuals. Quantitative data collected through surveys technique using stratified sampling method involved a student' category of social sciences and engineering and technology. Descriptive analysis that was conducted found the highest levels of the variables associated with entrepreneurial behavior is self-motivation, followed by the online experience and personal background. While the correlation analysis also found that the three independent variables have a significant and positive relationship with the entrepreneurial behavior of the online business. These findings illustrate the relevant parties on the factors related to the entrepreneurial behavior of the online business. Finally, some suggestions were made for future research.

Previous studies have found that market orientation practices were important in benefiting the continuity of the business firms. In this regard, the study tries to focus on the market orientation practices using MKTOR scale including customer orientation, competitor orientation and coordination between functions. The survey type of study was carried out among 136 micro-sized enterprises in Perlis and grouped into four major towns using stratified random sampling technique. Results from the descriptive analysis were shown that the mean value for the three market orientation constructs was at medium high level. The issue gives an overview of moderate market orientation practices amongst such enterprises. This finding provides useful enlightenment to micro-sized enterprises and related parties in developing the business in the future. Some implications to the related parties and future suggestions were discussed.

Scholars in entrepreneurship studies have found the vital role of innovation practices towards the performance of businesses. Innovation is often associated with an increase in the performance of a business. However, the question arises is what are the types of innovation that can significantly affect business performance. In this regard, the study aims to examine the current position of business performance and innovation practices among micro-sized enterprises. In addition, this quantitative study also seeks to establish the relationship between the three multidimensional constructs of innovation (including product innovation, process innovation and technological innovation) with business performance. The data collection process was carried out through surveys that involved a sample of 127 micro-sized enterprises in Perlis. Descriptive analysis showed that the current situation of business performance and all types of innovation were at a high level of practices. The result from correlation analysis further revealed that product innovation, process innovation, and technological innovation have a significant and positive relationship with the improvement in business performance. It provides knowledge on the importance of the practice of all three types of innovation in business enterprises. The implications and future directions of this study are also discussed.

The Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) field is part of the drive for national development. With the circumstances, the TVET institutions have taken steps towards creating future entrepreneurs as well as contributing to high-skilled employment. Thus, the study was conducted to examine several factors related to higher learning environment and role model as well as their relationship with entrepreneurship intentions among TVET students. The study was hypothesized and tested using three dimensions of TVET higher learning environment (entrepreneurship education, entrepreneurship activities and teaching and learning methods) and role model factors that influence students' entrepreneurial intention. The results from correlation analysis found that there was a relationship between all the independent variables; entrepreneurship activities, role models, entrepreneurship education and teaching and learning methods with entrepreneurial intentions. The overall results of the study act as an enlightenment for related parties in developing future entrepreneurship society for the development of the country.

Pandemik Covid-19 yang melanda dunia telah memberi kesan negatif dalam perniagaan dan juga tawaran pekerjaan. Deretan lepasan IPT yang memenuhi pasaran pekerjaan turut menyulitkan keadaan. Justeru, penulisan ini mengutarakan kepentingan para graduan mencipta pekerjaan sendiri dan menjadi majikan melalui aktiviti keusahawanan. Hal tersebut berikutan pendedahan meluas berkaitan aktiviti keusahawanan semasa mereka bergelar pelajar IPT. Seharusnya pembelajaran, pendedahan dan pengalaman berkaitan keusahawanan di kampus dapat melahirkan graduan yang berupaya mencipta peluang pekerjaan sendiri seterusnya dapat mengurangkan tekanan dalam pasaran pekerjaan negara.