Industrial Organisation

Muhamad Azhar Nor Sabli · Mohd Fahmy-Abdullah · Lai Wei Sieng ·International Journal of Supply Chain Management ·2019

This aim of this study is to measure the technical efficiency score and identify the factors that affect the technical efficiency in plastic manufacturing firm in Malaysia for the year 2015 using the two stage Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) method. The first stage involves calculating the efficiency score through the DEA using firm-level data, provided by the Department of Statistics, Malaysia. In the second stage, Tobit Regression Analysis was used to identify the significant factors affecting the efficiency of the plastic industry. The determining factors are the labor-ratio, training expenses, educational level ratios, wage rates, information and communications technology expenses and firm size. The results show that average efficiency score is moderate rate. Information and communication technology (ICT) expenditure, wage rate, research and development expenditure and education level are significant factors of the efficiency factor of a plastic product manufacturing firm. The implication of this decision suggests that firms need to emphasize significant factors to enhance firms' efficiency.

Muhammad Syafiq Abdul Latif · Mohd Fahmy-Abdullah · Lai Wei Sieng ·International Journal of Supply Chain Management ·2019

— Machinery manufacturing industry has been introduced since the beginning of the industrial era from European countries and developed until today. However, major challenges in machinery industry still driven by traditional production factors such as capital and labour that caused the industry still left out. Thus, the objective of the study are to analyse the level of TE and identifying determinant factors influenced to technical efficiency in the machinery manufacturing industry in Malaysia. The study was conducted by using the method of Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) two stages. The first stage involves the calculation a score of efficiency through the DEA by using firm’s data while the second stage Regression Tobit Analysis used to identify significant factors influencing to technical efficiency in machinery industrial. This firm’s data are categorized into 3 subindustry 3-digit according to the Malaysian Standard Industrial Classifications which are consists of Manufacture of General-Purpose Machinery, Manufacture of Special Purpose Machinery and Manufacture of Installation Machinery Industrial and Equipment. A total of 636 machinery industry firms were involved in this study. Results showed the average efficiency score is at the medium level while the determinant factors were significant are wage rates, the standard of education and research and development (R&D). The implications of this study show that the machinery industry should focus their attention to the significant factors to improve the level of technical efficiency of the machinery industry.

Zaimy Johanna Johan · Irwan Ibrahim · Norina Ahmad Jamil · Siti Masithah Mohd Tarli · Afizan Amer ·International Journal of Supply Chain Management ·2019

Nowadays, in daily operations have to alert about the lean production that would be effect of the whole of production management. Lean production is one of the main successful management in operations to keep maintain the organization reputation and its ready to compete the globally in manufacturing firm. The objective of lean production is to make the operation process become smoothly of processing items, reduced waste and successful in every target. However, many organizations fail to apply the lean concepts in their operations. Therefore, this study attempted to examine the relationship between lean production (LP) and three dimensions which are transportation, quality and communication. This study employed quantitative study using questionnaire. Data was collected from 45 employees that chosen by expertise in production and the data was analyzed using Statistical Package of Social Science (SPSS). This study hoped to make new understanding on the important to apply lean concept in production management.

Veera Pandiyan Kaliani Sundram · Irwan Ibrahim · Mashitah Mohamed Esa · Natasya Nabilah Mohd Azly ·International Journal of Supply Chain Management ·2019

Picking and packing is the one of the main principle action in a distribution centre. Picking and packing action ensures the right product at the right quantity reaches the right customer. As such, this study is purported to recognize the issues related to picking and packing error and to know how to overcome it. The study was conducted using a semi-structured interview to elicit response concerning picking and packing issues and error. Five respondents were selected to participate in the semi-organized interview and these respondents are from different designations in the picking and packing unit in a distribution centre from a leading pharmaceutical company. There are several issues that relates to picking and packing error, such as multiple items/barcodes in one location, wrong carton label, and employees miscommunication. Findings from this study will explicitly provide solution for better picking and packing approaches to provide solution to picking and packing error. The novelty of this study lies on the issues of order picking and packing in a leading pharmaceutical organization in Malaysia through vigorous investigation.

Miao Zhanga · Md Aslam Mia ·Journal of the Asia Pacific Economy ·2020 ·JEL: D22 F23 L60 O14

With cognizance to firms’ heterogeneity in an industry, this paper employs the most recent, unpublished and large-scale firm-level data of 14,687 manufacturing firms in Malaysia in 2015 to revisit the drivers of manufacturing exports. Applying the OLS and logistic regressions, we observed a strong positive relationship between a firm’s labor productivity and export intensity. Firms’ foreign ownership, size and age are positively connected to their export competitiveness. The incorporation of location variables into the regression reveals that firms in the Southern peninsula of Malaysia (e.g., Johor) have a positive effect and demonstrate the highest probability to engage in export activities. Our study is informative to trade policymakers on the key drivers of manufacturing exports, providing references to not only Malaysia, but other economies in Eastern Asia and developing nations.