Herwina Rosnan

The globalization of film business and its effect on the Malaysian film industry

Purpose – The study aims to examine the impact of globalization of film business on the Malaysian film industry.Design/methodology/approach – Interviews were conducted as the primary source of information from film industry players in Malaysia.Findings – Globalization of film business gives an impact on the Malaysian film industry.Research limitations/implications – This paper focuses on the Malaysian film industry and concentrates only on globalization of film business impact.Practical implications – The results provide insights to the Malaysian film sector and other organizations of similar structure of how they could manage business strategies for improved business performance.Originality/value – This paper is perhaps one of the first to investigate the impact of globalization on the Malaysian film industry.

Location as a strategic retail decision: the case of the retail cooperative

Purpose – This paper is a case study of a cooperative whose involvement in the retail business was exemplary of a successful cooperative, bold enough to venture into the retail business. Known as the Johor Cooperative Supermarket (JCS), it was established in 1976 with the support of a firm number of cooperative members, totaling 15,000 at its peak. The purpose of this paper is to examine the success story of JCS and the eventual demise of such an outstanding cooperative.Design/methodology/approach – Using the case study method through in‐depth interviews with the board of directors of the cooperative, information was accumulated to conceptualize the story and trace the chronological events relevant to the case.Findings – Unlike other business entities, JCS was established on the foundation of a cooperative that seeks to attain profitable standing for the benefit of its members. Located strategically in the southern tip of Johor Bahru in Malaysias southern state of Johor, the supermarket attracted a large...

Export Readiness Among Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises in Malaysia

Increasing the export has been an important agenda to many countries as it contributes to economic growth. Exporting is the most common way to expand business and penetrate international market. The role of SMEs in global market has increased which contribute to economic growth of a country. However, SMEs are facing challenges in entering export markets due to limited resources, competition with multinationals, and many other factors. Hence, SMEs must make sure that they are prepared to enter the export market as to minimize the risks of failure in international market. The objective of this paper is to examine export readiness among SMEs in Malaysia as studies have shown that export readiness influenced export performance. Interviews were conducted on eight manufacturing SMEs in Malaysia to examine their perception and level of export readiness. Among the important dimensions to export readiness are motivational factors, management commitment, product consideration, and financial resources. The findings showed that SMEs are motivated and have the intention to enter international market, but their motivations do not necessarily manifested into commitment to export. This study contributes significantly to the theory of export readiness and extends literature on export readiness among SMEs. Further researches are also suggested.

Fighting the Giants: The Case of a New Player

Today’s business environment is dynamic and current business competition is characterized by some authors as hyper-competition. For a new player, sustainable competitive advantage is a crucial indicator of success. SimplySiti is a new brand in the beauty industry in Malaysia having being established in 2008 and launched in 2010. Amidst the presence of more established global competitors like L’Oreal, Avon and Estee Lauder in the Malaysian market, SimplySiti has done fairly well. Much of its success is attributed to fast acceptance by the market as the main target market for this brand are fans of Dato’ Siti Nurhaliza, the most popular Malaysian singer with vast following not only in Malaysia but across countries such as Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei and the Middle East. The brand itself is associated with Dato’ Siti Nurhaliza as she is the founder and the driver of this brand and she is involved in marketing and promoting this brand directly. This case study highlights how a newly established local business competes with the more established global players. Specifically, the article analyzes how SimplySiti thrives in the midst of very strong and much-established competitors and the direction it takes to steer the company in the next phase of its establishment.

Exploring Corporate Social Responsibility among SMEs in Malaysia

The issues of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) have received growing attention in recent years. However, previous studies on CSR were largely focused on developed countries. This is because CSR practices have long been associated with big corporations in developed countries such as Mark & Spenser, Johnson & Johnson, Volkswagen, and Coca-Cola. It has been argued that organizations operations and interaction with other stakeholder to a certain degree have an impact on society and the environment regardless of the size of the organization. Hence, CSR is critical in all firms, large and small. Despite the importance of CSR in all organizations, there is a lack of literature on CSR concerning small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Thus, the main purpose of this paper is to explore the awareness of CSR concept among SMEs in Malaysia. In addition, this study is to investigate CSR initiatives implemented by SMEs as well as attempt to understand the challenges and barriers to CSR commitment. This is an exploratory study which employs a qualitative strategy as it provides deeper understanding of the phenomenon understudy.