Acceptance of the Implementation of Corporate Governance among Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Malaysia

Abstract

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are recognized as pivotal contributors to national economies globally. They play a vital role in bolstering employment, enhancing productivity, fostering economic growth, and promoting dispersed ownership within society. SMEs exhibit a range of specializations, enabling them to cater to diverse market demands and actively participate in various economic activities. To assist SMEs in the economy, many SMEs are entirely owned and started as family businesses. Involving them in the management often presents the conflicts and affairs in a business. Governance becomes necessary to prevent abuses of authority and establish the rules to manage the businesses. Hence, this study measures the acceptance of corporate governance among SMEs in Malaysia. A theory such as the Theory of Planned Behavior is used as the framework for the acceptance factors of corporate governance in SMEs. The study adopts a quantitative method, collecting 380 questionnaires from SMEs, and analyses the data via the Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The result of this study showed that the factors derived from the theory showed that attitudes and perceived behavioral control have a relationship with the intention to implement the corporate governance code. This shows that the acceptance of corporate governance reacts positively to SMEs. Hence, SMEs in Malaysia could implement a corporate governance code, thereby improving their SME's performance.