Ching Seng Yap

Strategic Uncertainty and Firm Performance: The Mediating Role of Competitive Intelligence Practices

This study aims to identify the strategic roles of competitive intelligence and to examine the mediating effect of competitive intelligence practices on the relationship between perceived strategic uncertainty and firm performance. Data are collected from 123 public listed companies in Malaysia using mail questionnaire survey. The study highlights the essential role of competitive intelligence in supporting strategic decision making and strategic planning as well as in identifying opportunities and threats. Results reveal that perceived strategic uncertainty relates positively to competitive intelligence practices, which in turn, relates positively to firm performance. This paper includes implications, limitations, and recommendations for future studies.

Competitive Intelligence Practices and Firm Performance

Abstract This study examines the level of competitive intelligence practices undertaken by Malaysian publiclisted companies, and the relationship between competitive intelligence and firm performance. Data was collected from 123 companies across various industry categories. The study finds that competitive intelligence has been practiced at an early stage and in a moderate level among Malaysian companies. The top three intelligence sectors rated by the sampled companies are customers, competitors and the economy. Competitive intelligence is mostly used in making strategic decisions regarding capacity expansion, new product development, and strategic alliance. Competitive intelligence practice relates positively to firm performance. Companies with a formal versus informal competitive intelligence unit achieve higher firm performance as measured by organizational growth and profitability. The article includes implications and recommendations for future studies.

Employability skills, personal qualities, and early employment problems of entry-level auditors: Perspectives from employers, lecturers, auditors, and students

ABSTRACT The authors examine the issue of employability of university accounting students from the perspectives of accounting firm employers, junior auditors, accounting lecturers, and accounting students. Areas of investigation include perceived importance of employability skills and desirable personal qualities; and early employment problems encountered by junior auditors and ways to minimize the problems. The findings indicate that employers value communication skills, analytical skills, and time management skills the most. Employers prefer well-rounded and responsible individuals with positive job attitudes. The most frequently encountered early employment problems include lack of technical knowledge, difficulty in applying knowledge, and lack of English skills.

Perceived environmental uncertainty and competitive intelligence practices

Purpose – The study aims to examine the current state of competitive intelligence practices in Malaysian public listed companies, the perception of environmental uncertainty and the link between the two concepts. Design/methodology/approach – The data were collected from 123 public listed companies via mail questionnaire survey. Variables and measurement were adopted from prior empirical studies, specifically from Daft, Sormunen and Parks. Findings – Generally, the current state of competitive intelligence practices undertaken in Malaysian companies is moderate. More than half of the surveyed companies had established a formal CI unit in their organisation, in which a majority of them practised competitive intelligence at an early (five to nine years) stage in a moderate scale (two to five employees). Using a paired sample t-test, the study found that the perception of environmental uncertainty is higher in the task environmental sector than in the general environmental sectors. A positive correlation exi...

Determinants of ICT outsourcing among the locally-owned manufacturers in Malaysia

Purpose This paper aims to examine the level of information and communication technology (ICT) outsourcing and its determinants in the Malaysian locally owned manufacturing firms. Drawing on the transaction cost theory and the resource-based theory, four determinants – asset specificity, uncertainty, business skills and technical skills – were hypothesized to influence ICT outsourcing. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected using a questionnaire survey from 104 manufacturing firms listed on the Directory of Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers. Data were then analyzed using R package partial least squares path modeling. Findings The study reveals that slightly over two-thirds (68 per cent) of the surveyed manufacturers either fully or partially outsourced their ICT services. Asset specificity and uncertainty are found to be positively related to the level of ICT outsourcing, which contradict the prediction of the transaction cost theory. On the other hand, business skills and technical skills are not significantly related to the level of ICT outsourcing, which also conflict the resource-based arguments. Research limitations/implications The small sample size would not be able to make meaningful conclusion for the population; the small R2 value indicates that other important determinants of ICT outsourcing were not tested in this study, and the transaction cost theory and the resource-based theory do not adequately predict the level of ICT outsourcing in the Malaysian locally owned manufacturers. Originality/value The study serves as one of the first studies that tested the determinants of ICT outsourcing using the transaction cost theory and the resource-based theory in locally owned manufacturing firms of a developing country.

Innovativeness, market intelligence practices, and firm performance of small- and medium-sized tour operators

The study examines the effect of market intelligence practices on firm performance in the small- and medium-sized tour operators in Malaysia. Specifically, a conceptual model is developed which hypothesizes that firm innovativeness relates positively to market intelligence acquisition and market intelligence utilization which, in turn, affects firm performance. A self-administered questionnaire survey is used to garner responses from a sample of 81 tour operators. The findings indicate that firm performance is positively related to market intelligence practices both in terms of market intelligence acquisition and market intelligence utilization. In addition, it also shows that the relationship between firm innovativeness and market intelligence acquisition is stronger than the relationship between firm innovativeness and market intelligence utilization. These findings may imply that even though market intelligence practices are more prevalent among larger firms, small- and medium-sized tour operators may also benefit from having formal information processing systems and in particular in terms of acquiring and utilizing information. The limitations of the study and recommendations for future research are also discussed.

International tourist satisfaction in Malaysia: antecedents and consequences

ABSTRACT This study examined two antecedents – perceived value and destination image, which affect international tourist satisfaction from visiting Malaysia, and two consequences of tourist satisfaction – tourist loyalty and complaining behaviour. Data were collected using a questionnaire survey from 317 departing international tourists at two international airports in Kuala Lumpur. Results indicated that perceived value and destination image related positively with tourist satisfaction which in turn, lead to tourist loyalty. However, tourist dissatisfaction did not lead to complaining behaviour, and complaining behaviour did not have any significant relationship with tourist loyalty. The study provided insights for tourism practitioners on the behaviours of international tourists for the purpose of promoting Malaysia as a tourism destination.

Satisfaction with E-Government Portals: Perspective of Senior Citizens.

This study aims to investigate the level of user satisfaction with the services provided by e-government portals and to examine the effect of perceived value and social influence on senior citizens’ satisfaction and their continuous use intentions. Through a questionnaire survey, primary data are collected from 123 senior citizens who use e-government portals. The findings show that senior citizens are moderately satisfied with the services provided by e-government portals and positive on their continuous use intentions. Egovernment portals in the area of health and tourism are used more heavily than others. Both perceived value and social influence relate positively with senior citizens’ satisfaction, but perceived value has a relatively stronger effect on satisfaction than social influence. Senior citizens’ satisfaction also positively affects their continuous use intentions of e-government portals. The findings enhance the understanding of e-government portals that senior citizens consider valuable and additionally, highlight the role of social influence in affecting their satisfaction and subsequently their continuous use intentions.

Personality Traits, Entrepreneur's Ambidexterity, and Knowledge Brokerage: Evidence from Technology Firms.

The study aims to identify the knowledge sources for opportunity recognition and to examine the relationships between personality traits, ambidexterity, knowledge brokerage, and firm performance. Data were collected from 132 entrepreneurs in the technology sector using a questionnaire survey. The study finds that the mostly used knowledge sources for opportunity recognition are Internet/social media, online media, and customers. The findings reveal that personality traits of entrepreneurs relates with ambidexterity, specifically, openness to experience relates positively with engagement in exploration activities, and conscientiousness relates positively with engagement in exploitation activities. Furthermore, entrepreneur’s ambidexterity and knowledge brokerage have a positive relationship, which in turn, affect firm

Entrepreneur's ambidexterity, knowledge brokerage and firm performance: Preliminary findings

An entrepreneurs ambidexterity or ability to simultaneously and synergistically pursue both exploitation and exploration activities has been found as having positive effects on business performance. However, little is known about the antecedents and consequences of ambidexterity in entrepreneurs. This study focuses on the role of social network and environmental dynamism in affecting entrepreneurs ambidexterity. Then, to examine the importance of an ambidextrous entrepreneur, the study hypothesizes its relationship with firm performance. Data were collected from 65 entrepreneurs in the technology sector using a questionnaire survey. Conference, trade fair and exhibition, and customer are the main sources of opportunity recognition perceived by the technology entrepreneurs. The findings reveal that environmental dynamism and social network are significantly related to entrepreneurs ambidexterity, which lead to enhanced firm performance. On the other hand, knowledge brokerage activities are found to have a significant mediating effect on the relationship between ambidexterity and firm performance.