International Journal of Management and Human Science (IJMHS)

A Study on Factors Affecting Access to Trade Finance by Export Oriented Small and Medium Enterprises in Malaysia and Sri Lanka

Asha Jayaweera — 2024-11-19

The inability to obtain adequate access to finance from the formal banking sector has become a key global constraint for the expansion and development of small and medium enterprises, popularly known as SMEs, engaged in international trade exports. The effect of specific underlying factors on accessing adequate trade finance by these niche SMEs are largely unknown, creating a considerable gap in the existing knowledge. The objective of this concept paper was the development of suitable hypotheses and a conceptual framework to explore the relationship between access to trade finance by export-oriented SMEs and their export performance and to thereby unearth the contributory factors to the problems faced by the export-oriented SMEs using secondary data from two countries in the Asian region: Malaysia and Sri Lanka. The research method employed was a comprehensive, systematic review of the literature. The PRISMA guidelines were employed to identify suitable research studies to be used. Thematic and descriptive analysis of the data gathered revealed several contributory factors that could be broadly categorised into three themes: weaknesses among the SMEs themselves, weaknesses in the formal banking sector, and the lack of governmental and non-governmental support towards exporting SMEs. Thus, a well-fitted conceptual framework could be developed. This paper contributes significantly to the literature, providing an insight into the contributory factors affecting access to trade finance for export-oriented SMEs in Malaysia and Sri Lanka in turn, enabling them to contribute more towards the economic growth of the two countries.

Navigating Turnover: Culture and Job Satisfaction in Listed Companies

Jen Ling Gan — 2024-07-30

Turnover has been a critical concern for all industries. Turnover intention has been known as the best predictor of turnover, which can be influenced by the culture and job attitude of employees. A cross-sectional study was conducted among the employees of a few Malaysian small and medium enterprises (SMEs), where n=197. The results supported the hypothesis that the impact of organisational culture and job satisfaction was significant. However, no significant impact of organisational culture and job satisfaction was found on turnover intention. Furthermore, it was found that job satisfaction did not mediate the relationship between organisational culture and turnover intention. This means that practitioners in SME should focus on building a healthy organisational culture to improve employees’ job satisfaction. Although it was found that job satisfaction is not a significant mediator in explaining the relationship between organisational culture and turnover intention, it can raise awareness among practitioners in SME to focus on other aspects to reduce turnover intention instead of job satisfaction.

Powering Progress: An Empirical Investigation of the Impact of Energy Consumption on Economic Growth in Nigeria

Friday Barnabas Balogun — 2024-07-30

Energy is the backbone of modern economies, driving development, innovation, and sustainability. This study discusses the crucial role of energy resources in shaping a country's future, quality of life, health, and climate. Focusing on Nigeria, one of the fastest-growing economies globally, the paper explores the impact of energy consumption on economic progress from 1980 to 2022. Energy poverty and insecurity, coupled with unreliable access to modern energy services, have hindered Nigeria's economic potential. Employing up-to-date empirical analysis and future forecast techniques, the study finds that energy consumption positively influences both short-term and long-term economic growth. The population growth rate negatively affects long-term growth, while the inflation rate hampers long-term growth but spurs short-term growth. Carbon emissions contribute positively to growth, while foreign direct investment boosts long-term growth but suppresses short-term growth. The study recommends policies to stimulate sustainable economic growth, attract foreign investments, enhance energy infrastructure, manage inflation, and promote environmental sustainability. Emphasising the need for policy coherence, the study advises coordinated efforts across monetary, fiscal, trade, and energy sectors to ensure consistent and effective strategies for long-term sustainable growth in Nigeria.

The Role of Internal Communication on the Effectiveness of Employee Decision Making

Ibrahim Fahad Sulaiman — 2024-07-30

The process of decision-making among employees at the Office of the Minister of State in the Dhofar Governorate, Sultanate of Oman, relies on effective internal communication. Three independent variables were examined: administrative communication, formal communication, and informal communication in relation to employee decision-making. The study adopted a systematic literature approach to review methods for synthesising the fundamentals of internal communication among employees in government sectors. A sample of 238 employees was stratified using a quota sampling procedure to select respondents. The study used a questionnaire, adopted and adapted from the Internal Communication Questionnaire (ICSQ) and the Employee Participation in Decision Making Questionnaire (EPDM). Correlation analysis and Multiple Regression Analysis (MRA) were used to examine the relationships among the variables. The results showed a significant positive relationship between administrative, formal, and informal communication and employee decision-making in the government institution. The most influential variable among these was formal communication, with a beta coefficient of 0.240 and a significance level of 0.000. Additionally, the model summary accounted for 20.3% of the variance, with an ANOVA significance of 0.000. Therefore, adopting internal communication within governmental sectors is recommended to achieve organisational goals, as this accounts for 20.3% of the variance with a positive significance level of 0.000. This implies that adopting such internal communication practices in employee decision-making is a suitable methodology for achieving organisational goals.

Analysis of Nexus Between Unemployment and Recession in India

Debesh Bhowmik — 2024-07-30

The nexus between unemployment and recession in India highlights a critical economic relationship where downturns significantly impact job availability, deepening economic challenges and affecting the livelihoods of millions. In this study, the author reviewed the research on the nexus between unemployment rate and recessions in the US during 1948-2020 and in the UK during 1900-2023 and attempted to examine the cyclical relationship between unemployment rate and GDP growth during all recessions and economic crises from 1951 to 2023 in India. The paper explored that all the peaks of the unemployment rates are associated with troughs of the GDP growth rates in every recession in India, especially in 1957, 1965, 1966, 1972, 1979, and 2020, while in other economic crises in 1985-86, 1991, 2005-06, unemployment rates were either upswing or reached peak levels when GDP growth rates were either downswing or reached at troughs. There are marginal exceptions during cyclical fashions in association between them.