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Article
Publication date: 17 October 2019

Sie Bing Ngu and Azlan Amran

This aim of this paper is to prove that the diversity of board capital is a significant driver of corporate governance. Board capital has increasingly been identified as a key…

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Abstract

Purpose

This aim of this paper is to prove that the diversity of board capital is a significant driver of corporate governance. Board capital has increasingly been identified as a key part of governance mechanism that assists businesses to improve their sustainability reporting practices and sustainability performance. In addition, board capital has been recognized as being key to the development of good corporate governance in the private and public sectors.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper discusses whether the diversity of board capital is a significant driver of corporate governance.

Findings

This paper suggests that the best mixture of board capital for an individual company should be varied between industries and business models. Effective corporate governance assists in the attainment of high-level sustainability and financial performance, which, in turn, bolsters corporate reputation.

Practical implications

This paper presents new strategic insights into diversity of board capital that is pivotal to global leading companies in preparing their sustainability reports.

Originality/value

This paper justifies the need of diversity in board capital because it is one of the means to build strong corporate governance based on the stakeholders’ expectations and interests, and to create greater public trust and the prospects of the respective business.

Details

Strategic Direction, vol. 35 no. 12
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0258-0543

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 15 November 2018

Eu Chin Ong, Cheng Ling Tan and Azlan Amran

This paper aims to highlight a limitation of the understanding of agility within organizations, while providing the reasoning and anecdotal example of an effective setting where…

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Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to highlight a limitation of the understanding of agility within organizations, while providing the reasoning and anecdotal example of an effective setting where agility exists, and how this affects firms’ productivity through focusing on the principle of ownership motivation.

Design/methodology/approach

The contemporary thoughts and historical research with anecdotal evidence are gathered from small business owners in the insurance industry.

Findings

Agility implementation in firms today is mainly top-down team focused. While bottom-up input approaches are prescribed for firm organizational agility implementation, the mantle of ownership and drive are not imparted to employees. The example of a service industry highlights the possibilities of having agility within the organization implemented by direct ownership of most if not all the operations and functions.

Practical implications

This paper shares a working example of implemented agility and proposes the application within the broader scope of firm operations, particularly for smaller firms looking for sustainable advantages.

Originality/value

It re-looks at actual implementable agile practices by re-imaging the role of employees into functional business units from the bottom-up, rather than from the top-down, as a different perspective of agility.

Details

Strategic Direction, vol. 35 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0258-0543

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 October 2019

Poorni Sakrabani, Ai Ping Teoh and Azlan Amran

The Malaysian retail industry, which contributes toward almost 45 per cent of the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is on a downward trend. As such, the main purpose of this…

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Abstract

Purpose

The Malaysian retail industry, which contributes toward almost 45 per cent of the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is on a downward trend. As such, the main purpose of this study is to improve the performance of the Malaysian retail industry through the incorporation of Industry 4.0 technologies. The incorporation of Industry 4.0 technologies in the retail industry has led to the emergence of Retail 4.0 which can also be defined as omni-channel retailing.

Design/methodology/approach

The adoption of Retail 4.0, which is a combination of omni-channel retailing and also novel technologies, has been proven to improve the performance of retailers in many countries. As such, the authors have given suggestions on how Retail 4.0 can be incorporated by Malaysian retailers for the betterment of the Malaysian retail industry.

Findings

Problems faced by retailers these days are boring `brick and mortar' stores, out of stock (OOS) issues, price discrepancy and long queues. Retail 4.0 has enabled retailers to overcome these problems by creating novel shopping experiences, better inventory management, and improved operational efficiency and also more informed decision making in real time.

Limitations

The incorporation of Industry 4.0 technologies in Malaysia is still in the infancy stage. As such, skilled professionals need to be brought in to help implement these technologies in the retail industry.

Practical implications

Omni-channel retailing and the usage of various technologies by `brick and mortar' stores is very appealing to Malaysia's Gen Y and Gen Z who make up 67 per cent of the country's population. The spending power of this young generation can help to boost the performance of the Malaysian retail industry.

Originality/value

To date, no known study has been done on the impact of Retail 4.0 on Malaysian retailers. The results of this study will be very valuable to managers who are keen to improve the performance of their respective retail channels.

Details

Strategic Direction, vol. 35 no. 11
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0258-0543

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 14 May 2018

Sie Bing Ngu and Azlan Amran

This paper aims to illustrate that stakeholder engagement is a fundamental step of the sustainability reporting process, as it assists in defining the materiality and relevance of…

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Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to illustrate that stakeholder engagement is a fundamental step of the sustainability reporting process, as it assists in defining the materiality and relevance of the information communicated and enhances greater transparency and greater accountability to stakeholders.

Findings

In today’s corporate world, the role of stakeholder engagement has been recognized as being significant in completing the process for materiality disclosure in sustainability reporting, and it has become one of the vital elements in advancing sustainable development in the corporate sector. The materiality approach has been recommended as the instrument for scoping and defining the content for sustainability reporting or reports that only disclose issues that are considered material from the perspective of the stakeholders. This is relevant to both businesses and stakeholders.

Practical implications

The paper provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the leading global companies in preparing their sustainability reports.

Details

Strategic Direction, vol. 34 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0258-0543

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 10 April 2017

Azlan Amran, Hasan Fauzi, Yadi Purwanto, Faizah Darus, Haslinda Yusoff, Mustaffa Mohamed Zain, Dayang Milianna Abang Naim and Mehran Nejati

This paper aims to explore social responsibility reporting of full-fledged Islamic banks in two developing countries, namely, Indonesia and Malaysia. Corporate social…

2586

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to explore social responsibility reporting of full-fledged Islamic banks in two developing countries, namely, Indonesia and Malaysia. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has become an important aspect of business society. As such, companies have shown a growing interest in reporting their social and environmental initiatives.

Design/methodology/approach

Content analysis of the annual reports for three full-fledged local Islamic banks in Indonesia and three Islamic banks in Malaysia was carried out for the period of 2007-2011.

Findings

Results of the study revealed that CSR disclosure of Islamic banks has generally grown both in Malaysia and Indonesia. More specifically, it was found that workplace and community dimensions were the most highly disclosed areas by the Islamic banks in both countries.

Research limitations/implications

The current study provides a cross-cultural perspective on social responsibility disclosure in Islamic banks across two countries. The study is limited by investigating a five-year time frame.

Practical implications

By discussing the findings according to the stages of growth model for CSR, the authors suggest that Islamic banks can enhance their responsiveness, and transform their role from being CSR reporters of social responsibility to responders.

Originality/value

While the tenets of CSR have a lot in common with Islamic moral law (Shariah), little is known about CSR disclosure of Islamic banks.

Details

Journal of Financial Reporting and Accounting, vol. 15 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1985-2517

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 5 February 2021

Edzuwyn Fathin Binti Haji Mahyuddin, Mohammad Iranmanesh, Azlan Amran and Behzad Foroughi

This study aims to explain how board and hotel characteristics affect biodiversity reporting and to test the moderating effect of market diversification.

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to explain how board and hotel characteristics affect biodiversity reporting and to test the moderating effect of market diversification.

Design/methodology/approach

The annual reports of 105 hotels were examined for the period between 2016 and 2017 to analyse these hotels’ biodiversity reporting using content analysis. The partial least squares technique was used to test the proposed relationships.

Findings

The results show that the number of board members who are also on the corporate social responsibility committee, number of board members who are in environmental organizations, the star rating of the hotel, hotel size and hotel location have significant positive effects on the extent of biodiversity reporting. In addition, market diversification moderates positively the effects of number of board members with environmental experience and number of board members from environmental organizations on the extent of biodiversity reporting.

Practical implications

The results of this study will be useful in enabling hotel manager and investors to become knowledgeable about these aspects of boards, which lead to higher biodiversity reporting. This study can also inform policymakers about the types of hotels that are less likely to disclose biodiversity reports and to develop effective enforcement of regulations.

Originality/value

These findings extend the literature on biodiversity reporting by exploring the importance of board and hotel characteristics on the extent of biodiversity reporting and testing the moderating effect of market diversification.

Details

Social Responsibility Journal, vol. 18 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1747-1117

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 19 September 2019

Weng Foong Chang, Azlan Amran, Mohammad Iranmanesh and Behzad Foroughi

This study aims to explain how institutional, cultural and corporate factors affect the sustainability reporting quality (SRQ) of financial institutions and to test the moderating…

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Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to explain how institutional, cultural and corporate factors affect the sustainability reporting quality (SRQ) of financial institutions and to test the moderating effect of equator principles (EP).

Design/methodology/approach

The annual reports of 100 financial institutions were examined for the year 2016 using content analysis. The multiple regression technique was used to test the proposed relationships.

Findings

The results show that the quality of sustainability reports is higher among financial institutions in developed countries. Furthermore, institutions that practice Islamic values and those that integrate corporate social responsibility values into their mission and vision have higher levels of SRQ. Privately owned institutions also have higher quality of sustainability reporting in comparison to government-owned ones. Adopting the EP has a greater effect on the SRQ of non-Islamic financial institutions in comparison to Islamic ones.

Practical implications

The results of the study will be useful in enabling managers of financial institutions to become knowledgeable about the factors that lead to higher SRQ. The findings also have implications for policymakers’ development of sustainability reporting regulations and for the development of effective enforcement of regulations.

Originality/value

These outcomes contribute to the literature on SRQ exploring the importance of institutional, cultural and corporate factors on the extent of SRQ and testing the moderating effect of EP.

Details

International Journal of Ethics and Systems, vol. 35 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2514-9369

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 15 June 2023

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.

Article
Publication date: 23 November 2017

Sham Abdulrazak and Azlan Amran

The primary purpose of this paper is to explore and interpret the perceptions of Malaysian consumers regarding the factors that facilitate their market support for corporate…

Abstract

Purpose

The primary purpose of this paper is to explore and interpret the perceptions of Malaysian consumers regarding the factors that facilitate their market support for corporate social responsibility (CSR) through the lens of moral legitimacy.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper interprets qualitative data gathered from in-depth interviews with Malaysian consumers. The findings are then mapped to four forms of evaluations for moral legitimacy identified in the literature, towards establishing a conceptual model of consumer support for CSR.

Findings

Overall, six factors were identified as facilitating consumer market support for CSR. Of these, consumers were found to perceive strategic alignment between a firm’s business and its CSR as the most fundamental. In the absence of which, all other considerations are rendered irrelevant. Upon the requirement for alignment being met, the consumers then place emphasis on the manner by which a CSR activity is executed, for deciding whether to support or otherwise.

Practical implications

In contrast to previous reports in the literature concerning Malaysian consumers and CSR, the findings suggest that Malaysian consumers now have increased levels of awareness and maturity with regard to CSR, not unlike that of consumers in the West. Therefore, Malaysian firms will have to stop treating their CSR activities as an add-on, as has been reported previously, and they should endeavour to integrate their CSR into their overall business strategy.

Originality value

This paper offers an important insight about the consumers’ market support for CSR in the context of a developing nation.

Details

Journal of Global Responsibility, vol. 9 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2041-2568

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 7 November 2016

Mohamad Abu Huzaifah bin Magbool, Azlan Amran, Mehran Nejati and Krishnaswamy Jayaraman

This study aims to investigate whether organizations can leverage on their sustainable business practices to attract valuable talents to gain competitive advantage over their…

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Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to investigate whether organizations can leverage on their sustainable business practices to attract valuable talents to gain competitive advantage over their competitors.

Design/methodology/approach

Using factorial design, the authors conducted an experiment to assess the attractiveness of an organization in line with the social identity theory, based on the Bursa Malaysia corporate social responsibility (CSR) framework attributes (including environmental performance, community relation, workplace and marketplace performance).

Findings

The findings of the current study supported the notion of social identity theory, as study subjects were attracted more to organizations with high corporate sustainable business (CSB) practices than organizations with low CSB practices. Specifically, findings of the current study revealed that job applicants have a higher intention to join and willingness to accept a job offer from organizations with more sustainable business practices.

Research limitations/implications

This study is limited by its sample size and selection, self-reported measures and its cross-sectional nature.

Practical implications

Understanding the most preferred attribute of CSB practices will enable organizations to focus their valuable resources rightfully to market their CSR efforts for obtaining higher organizational attractiveness and competitive advantage.

Social implications

As many organizations perceive sustainable outcomes to be costly, demonstrating the positive link between CSB practices and organizational attractiveness for talents warrants a win-win paradigm.

Originality/value

Talented workforce is essential for differentiating an organization from its competitors. As human resources are mostly unique and non-imitable, it has been recommended as a newly minted strategy to enable organization to achieve sustainable competitive advantages.

Details

Sustainability Accounting, Management and Policy Journal, vol. 7 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2040-8021

Keywords

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