Vol. 18 No. 4(I) (2026)

The purpose of this study is to determine the mediating effect of acculturation on the relationship between workplace discrimination and work conditions and migrant workers' intention to re-enter Malaysia for employment. A quantitative cross-sectional survey design was employed using a non-probability sampling approach that combined quota and convenience sampling. Data were collected through a multilingual online questionnaire using LimeSurvey from 432 migrant workers employed in the agriculture, manufacturing, construction, and service sectors in Selangor. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, exploratory factor analysis, Pearson product-moment correlation, multiple regression, and PROCESS Model 4 with percentile bootstrapping. The results showed that favorable work conditions significantly increased migrant workers' intention to re-enter Malaysia for employment, whereas workplace discrimination significantly reduced their intention to return. Acculturation did not significantly predict migrant workers' intention to re-enter Malaysia after controlling for work conditions and workplace discrimination. The indirect effects of work conditions and workplace discrimination through acculturation were also not statistically significant. Therefore, acculturation did not mediate either relationship, suggesting that workplace experiences were more influential than cultural adaptation in explaining migrant workers' future employment intentions. The study contributes to migrant worker retention research and recommends that employers and policymakers prioritize decent work conditions, fair treatment, and effective anti-discrimination practices to strengthen migrant workers' willingness to return to Malaysia for employment.

Employees with disabilities may face workplace challenges that go well beyond physical access. These can include difficulties securing reasonable accommodation, risks associated with disclosure, psychosocial strain, inaccessible work systems, occupational health and safety concerns, inconsistent supervisory support, and barriers to career progression. Such challenges can be especially complex in higher education institutions, where academic and non-academic staff work across varied organizational, physical, digital, and professional settings.Although international rights frameworks and Malaysian disability and higher-education policies support disability-inclusive employment, institutional responses may still be fragmented across human resource management, disability support services, occupational safety and health, facilities,information technology, wellness services, and line management. This conceptual paper proposes Disability Health Management as an integrated, rights-based organizational approach to supporting the health, functioning, safety, inclusion, and sustainable work participation of EWD in Malaysian public universities. Drawing on the Social Relational Model of Disability, the World Health Organization’s International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health, and Job Demands–Resources theory, the paper develops a provisional conceptual framework organized around nine interconnected domains: governance and accountability; safe disclosure and confidentiality; reasonable accommodation and assistive technology; accessible physical and digital environments; occupational health, safety and emergency preparedness; psychosocial well-being and anti-ableism; supervisor and workforce capability; career sustainability, retention and progression; and monitoring, evaluation and continuous improvement.In doing so, the framework moves disability management beyond isolated accommodation towards a coordinated university workplace system.It also provides a theoretical foundation for the later empirical development, validation, and implementation testing of a context-specific DHM Model in Malaysian public higher education institutions.

As the global halal food market exceeds $2.7 trillion by 2024 and grows at a compound annual rate of more than 9% over the next decade, attention has increased on logistics processes that maintain halal integrity from farm to fork.Most extant halal logistics literature has focused on manufacturing, warehousing, and cross-border transportation, with little empirical attention to receipt and handling operations in grocery retail, where integrity is arguably most at risk .This study is filling in this gap by determining the impact of halal logistics implementation from three operational factors on food quality to support fresh groceries at a select grocery retail outlet in Malaysia. An exploratory qualitative case study design was used, where data from in-depth interviews with four purposively selected employees (2 from the Halal department and 2 from the Receiving department) and the transcribed text were analysed using NVivo.The results demonstrate that while segregation of entry points and other locations,as well as sealed packing practices, were fairly well implemented, shared use of weighing equipment between halal and non-halal fresh meat was identified as the greatest risk,which maintains a continual cross-contamination hazard that is only partially alleviated by disposable liners and consumer transport carts. The informants agreed on practical solutions, such as dedicated and clearly marked weight scales, protective covering for shared equipment, and regular sertu cleaning efforts.It expands the equipment-segregation-packaging framework to a retail receiving-dock context and provides concrete,low-cost elements for management and policymakers that can improve halal integrity assurance at the retail touchpoint with Muslim consumers.

The development of artificial intelligence (AI) applications has profound implications for higher education,including student behaviors, engagement, and productivity in learning. While academic literature addressing the implications of AI applications is on the rise, its relevance for fields of economics, business,and the social sciences remains disparate and localized. In this regard, this paper analyzes the bibliometric landscape of AI research using a set of indicators that include keyword co-occurrence, time and research density, and emerging research fronts using VOSviewer, and the search was limited to Scopus-indexed journal articles (2000-2025).A descriptive analysis was done based on three sets of documents, namely the global baseline, the discipline-specific body of work,and a local Malaysian dataset. The global dataset has produced a mature and integrated network with a primary emphasis on educational data mining and learning analytics.Nevertheless, temporal overlay visualization analysis reveals a sharp transition to the human and ethical factors surrounding generative artificial intelligence, including academic integrity and frameworks for evaluating teacher acceptance of disruptive technologies. In contrast, the Malaysian dataset was found to have a sparsely connected network, suggesting the growing nature of local research. Indeed, studies pertaining to Malaysia appear to focus on the interactions between students and ChatGPT and lack psychological theories in any of the included works.This study has identified the fundamental disconnect between regional and international research practices.As such, it can serve as the foundation for future studies that seek to understand the effects of artificial intelligence on the emotional,social, and academic development of students in developed digital economies.

This paper presents a comparative study of cooperative governance and rural entrepreneurship in Uzbekistan and Malaysia based on one main issue, which is smallholder farmers produce 75 to 85 percent of Uzbekistan's horticultural output, however, only 7.5 percent of agricultural land is managed through formal cooperatives. Why did this issue happen, and how can Malaysia's experience with FELDA and FELCRA be used to help other countries dealing with the same challenge? Based on the institutional theory, social capital theory, and entrepreneurial ecosystem approaches, this paper outlines an integrated conceptual framework for understanding the barriers and opportunities facing cooperative development in Uzbekistan. Malaysia serves as a comparative reference point throughout. The framework highlights four interconnected factors of influence, i.e., institutional environment, social and cultural dynamics, organizational capacity, and market integration. Malaysia's experience with FELDA and FELCRA suggests that sustained government support, systematic trust-building, and investment in organizational capacity can overcome historical barriers to cooperation. As a conceptual paper, the proposed framework requires empirical validation through future comparative research. It offers practical implications for policymakers, development practitioners, and farmer organizations seeking to enhance collective action in agricultural sectors. The paper contributes to the limited research on agricultural cooperation in transition economies and proposes a research agenda for investigating how Malaysia's experience with state-supported cooperative models might help Uzbekistan's ongoing agricultural reforms.

Learning Management Systems have reshaped higher education, transforming face-to-face classrooms into blended and online environments that dismantle spatial and temporal constraints. McGraw-Hill Connect has emerged as a comprehensive digital learning and course management platform, automating preparation, simplifying course building, and providing robust analytics for instructors alongside personalized study environments for students. Integrating AI-enabled adaptive features, the platform optimizes pedagogical delivery, promotes learner autonomy, and supports diverse learning strategies. This study examines undergraduate students' perceptions of McGraw-Hill Connect at Universiti Teknologi MARA, Puncak Alam Campus, Malaysia, focusing on the ECO415 Economics course that has adopted the platform since COVID-19. Using a descriptive quantitative design, data were collected from 154 undergraduates across four departments. Cronbach's alpha confirmed reliability for the educational and technical dimensions. Distributions were approximately non-normal for the educational and technical dimensions; a bootstrapping procedure was applied to test independent-samples t-tests. The independent-samples t-tests revealed a significant gender difference in the technical dimension, with female students scoring higher than male students; no significant difference emerged for the educational aspect. A one-way ANOVA confirmed no significant departmental variation for either dimension. Findings indicate positive perceptions of both technical and educational value, supported by subscription growth from 2,657 learners in 2021 to 4,606 in 2025. The findings suggest that adaptive learning and AI-enabled personalization may support learner autonomy and pedagogical efficiency.

The growing use of gamification and game-based learning (GBL) is transforming education by promoting interactivity, engagement, and a learner-centered approach. This paper examines research trends in gamification and GBL, focusing on student motivation and the effectiveness of integrating these methods into curricula. We conducted a bibliometric analysis of research articles from the Scopus database published between 2012 and 2026. VOSviewer software was used to visualize research trends, keyword co-occurrences, research areas, and emerging themes. A qualitative analysis identified common themes. Results show a significant increase in research on gamification and GBL since 2018, with a notable rise after 2020. Network and density visualizations highlight motivation, teaching, and e-learning as primary themes. Time-slicing analysis indicates a shift from technology-centered research to a focus on learner engagement, motivation, e-learning, health education, and remote learning. Emerging topics include augmented reality, serious games, simulation, and escape rooms. The findings emphasize the importance of considering learner motivation and engagement, appropriate technology, instructional level, and educator readiness when implementing gamification and GBL. This study enhances understanding of key areas of focus in educational research on gamification and GBL. The results can inform practitioners, researchers, and policy-makers in the development and implementation of digital learning experiences.

Mothers of children with special needs may encounter difficulties sustaining paid employment when caregiving demands intersect with working hours, school and service arrangements, and children's changing needs. This study examines how mothers negotiate paid work and caregiving within their caregiving circumstances. An exploratory qualitative design was employed with ten mothers whose children attended an elementary special support school in Japan. Data were generated through written interviews comprising 18 open-ended questions and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Four interrelated themes were developed: conditions of work-care incompatibility and its consequences; negotiating employment through trade-offs and adaptation; care and workplace support as enabling conditions; and the continuing value of paid work. The findings show that difficulties in combining employment and caregiving were shaped not only by the demands of care but also by the timing and unpredictability of children's needs and care arrangements. Mothers responded by adjusting working hours, employment arrangements and career expectations, although these adaptations reflected different combinations of constraint, caregiving priorities and accommodation to children's needs. Family, formal and workplace support expanded employment possibilities when sufficiently compatible with mothers' and children's circumstances. Despite these difficulties, paid work continued to hold financial, personal or professional value for several mothers. The study contributes an experience-centred understanding of work-care negotiation by showing how caregiving demands, employment conditions and available support shape the forms of employment that remain feasible while paid work may continue to be a valued part of mothers' lives.

The concept of workplace spirituality is increasingly attracting scholarly attention due to its potential to foster meaningful work, ethical behavior, and organizational success. However, empirical research remains limited regarding how faith-based spirituality translates into formal organizational practices. This study explores the manifestation and institutionalization of the Tawhidic paradigm as a foundation for workplace spirituality within an Islamic higher education institution. Particular focus is placed on governance, talent management, and organizational excellence. Employing a qualitative case study approach, data were collected through semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions involving representatives from four staff associations and subsequently analyzed using thematic analysis. Three key themes emerged from the findings: the strength of spirituality and community spirit within the Tawhidic paradigm; challenges in governance and talent management; and the integration of workplace harmony with organizational excellence. The Tawhidic paradigm was found to provide a robust foundation for spirituality and community spirit. However, concerns regarding implementation transparency, recognition, career advancement, promotion criteria, and professional competence created a gap between held spiritual values ​​and formal organizational practices. This resulted in tension between harmony and excellence, suggesting that a supportive and comfortable work environment could contribute to complacency, resistance to change, and a lack of readiness to embrace technology and artificial intelligence (AI). By bridging the gap between values ​​and organizational practices, this study extends the scope of workplace spirituality beyond individual and communal experiences toward a more holistic framework for sustainable organizational excellence within Islamic higher education institutions.

Participatory events bring individuals together within shared spaces and create opportunities for interaction, collective participation and social connection. While existing event research has examined these social experiences through concepts such as communitas, social identity and belonging, the processes through which they may contribute to the formation of a temporary community remain less clearly integrated. This conceptual paper aims to develop a framework explaining how participatory events facilitate temporary community formation and a sense of belonging among participants. We conducted a focused conceptual synthesis of literature from event studies and related social theories using Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. The synthesis identified five connected dimensions: shared event space, shared symbols and identity, collective participation, social connection, and temporary belonging. Based on these dimensions, the Temporary Community Formation Framework is proposed as a sequential process through which participants may move from being present within an event environment to temporarily experiencing themselves as part of a shared social group. The paper contributes to event studies by integrating communitas, social identity and belonging within a single conceptual framework and positioning temporary community as a possible social outcome of participatory event experiences. The framework provides a basis for future empirical testing and offers event managers a social perspective for designing events that encourage shared identity, collective participation, and connection among participants.