Malaysia is a developing economy which is one of the corporate leaders in South East Asian countries. Practicing audit committee is mandatory for public listed firms in Malaysia according to Bursa Malaysia Listing Requirements as well Malaysian Code of Corporate Governance. The purpose of this paper is to examine the association between audit committee characteristics and firm performance among public listed firms in Malaysia. This study employed EVA as performance measurement tool. The sample is 75 firm year observations and covers fiscal years 2008-2010. The study found that audit committee independence is positively associated with firm performance while audit quality is negatively associated in Malaysia. Overall, audit committee characteristics have a positive effect on firm performance. This study contributes to the literature as well as in empirical evidence on audit committee characteristics and firm audit quality. The results suggest that Big 4 firms have a negative impact on value based measure in Malaysia.

Data-driven innovation (DDI) initiatives by microfinance institutes have transformed the global poverty alleviation landscape. Despite the fact that relationship building is one of the primary goals of DDI initiatives in microfinance operations, there has been little research on the dimensions of relationship quality. This study examines how DDI initiatives recognize and incorporate relational dimensions in their service offerings to alleviate poverty. Drawing on a systematic literature review, thematic analysis and interviews with 20 microfinance managers, this research explores the relationship quality parameters that need to be leveraged. Grounded in the resource-based theory, the findings of this study confirm trust and commitment as two key relationship capabilities. The findings contribute to a better understanding of how microfinance institutes can use DDI to achieve sustainable competitive advantage.

Microfinance is used to enhance micro and small enterprise start-up and growth in developing countries. Although there is some discussion of how microfinance institutional activities lead to their own sustainability in the extant literature, the same cannot be said of the ways in which microfinance institutions shape the sustainability agendas of micro and small enterprises (MSEs). In this paper, we conceptualise and explain the way that joint liability lending in microfinance shapes the sustainability of micro and small enterprises owned by borrowers. Using sustainable leadership as a theoretical foundation, we conceptualise the strategic, operational, and community-level leadership functions associated with joint liability and construct a framework. Based on the conceptual framework, we also develop propositions and explain them using an illustrative case study. Our conceptual work reveals that leadership tasks at strategic, operational, and community levels influence MSEs’ sustainability. Our conceptual framework, propositions, and illustrative case evidence contribute to theory and practice by highlighting that joint liability mechanisms are a possible pathway for MFIs to facilitate sustainable initiatives in micro and small enterprises.

Reviewing literature and application of strategic cost management (SCM) and enterprise risk management (ERM) are critical and significant for corporate management to facilitate top management to employ appropriate SCM and ERM processes and systems especially in occurrence of constant and regular business turn around, crises and turbulence in recent time in world of business. This paper revisits and reviews the association between strategic cost management and enterprise risk management. Based on this review, the following propositions were developed; firm, which adopted SCM, is more likely to adopt ERM approach, there is a positive relationship between audit type and the association between ERM and SCM, and there is a positive relationship between company size and the association between ERM and SCM. The association between ERM and SCM differs from industry to another. The study also develops a framework for SCM composes of the following items: SWOT analysis, benchmarking, competitive advantage, value chain analysis, implement strategy that reduce cost during the value chain analysis by using target costing, accounting based-costing, accounting based-management, just in time, total quality management, life cycle, theory of constraints, and measure performance by using balanced scorecard.