International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences

search-icon

The Challenges Faced By Traditional Food Entrepreneurs In Business Sustainability

Open access

Aemillyawaty Abas, Soo Yew Phong, Suhailah Kassim, Amirah Hazimah Borhanordin, Ijlal Saja, Nur Aqilah Norwahi, Nur Hayati Abd Rahman

Pages 2780-2789 Received: 09 Oct, 2023 Revised: 07 Nov, 2023 Published Online: 05 Dec, 2023

http://dx.doi.org/10.46886/IJARBSS/v13-i11/7670
Malaysia is currently facing high living cost issue since COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Many entrepreneurs are poorly affected as they depend on irregular income, especially the small entrepreneurs that reside out of the city area. Therefore, this study explores the issues and challenges faced by the traditional food product operators for their business stability. This study was conducted around Bukit Senggeh, Selandar, a rural area in Melaka, Malaysia. A total of 10 entrepreneurs were selected as the study sample. They consisted of small rural entrepreneurs who produced and cultivated traditional food products. Traditional food products were often seen to have a great potential in attracting tourists to experience local food. Therefore, this study is a preliminary study to assist the Malaysian Government’s notion in restoring the economy post-pandemic. The results of the study showed that the problem faced by entrepreneurs was mainly the lack of awareness to register business companies with The Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM) and The Inland Revenue Board (LHDN). In addition, there was also a lack of resources to assist the development of the small business where traditional methods such as direct-selling was still used as well as not utilising social media platforms to market or sell the products. In fact, financial management was also reported to be disorganised and non-systematic. Based on the findings, future studies can look into developing models for business stability for both short- and long-term plans. In conclusion, traditional food businesses had a huge impact in improving the economic state of rural communities as it could also commercialise the products internationally through the tourism industry.
Abu, Z. (2022). Identification for problem in business.
Arif, S. (2009). Keupayaan pemasaran dalam kalangan pengusaha kecil makanan halal di Melaka Tengah: Satu kajian awal. MALIM, 10(2009), 183-208.
Ariffin. (2022). Identification for problem in business.
Brandão, A., Sousa, J. C. C., & Rodrigues, C. (2020). A dynamic approach to brand portfolio audit and brand architecture strategy. European Business Review.
Bae, S., Jung, T. H., Moorhouse, N., Suh, M., & Kwon, O. (2020). The influence of mixed reality on satisfaction and brand loyalty in cultural heritage attractions: A brand equity perspective. Sustainability, 12(7), 2956.
Cheng, Y., Nadeem, M., Haq, S. ul, Prisca, K., Aziz, B., Imran, M., & Shahbaz, P. (2022). Maintaining Quality of Life during the Pandemic: Managing Economic, Social, and Health Well-Being Amid the COVID-19 Crisis of Agricultural Entrepreneurs. Sustainability (Switzerland), 14(23), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.3390/su142315597
Dzuljastri, A. R., Moha, A. A., & Arif, E. (2018). Small Medium Enterprises (SMES) In Turkey and Malaysia A Comparative Discussions On Issues And Challenges. International Journal of Business, Economics and Law, 15(3), 2289-1552
Emami, A., Ashourizadeh, S., Sheikhi, S., & Rexhepi, G. (2022). Entrepreneurial propensity for market analysis in the time of COVID-19: benefits from individual entrepreneurial orientation and opportunity confidence. Review of Managerial Science, 16(8), 2413–2439. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11846-021-00499-0
Er, Ah Cho. (2013), Pembangunan pelancongan lestari di Melaka: Perspektif pelancong. Geografia OnlineTM. Malaysian Journal of Society and Space, 9(3), 12-23 http://journalarticle.ukm.my/6507/1/2.geografia-july_2013-er_ah__choy-edkat.pdf
Gaban, A. (2022). Identification for problem in business.
Hien, N., Phuong, N., Tran, T. V., & Thang, L. (2020). The effect of country-of-origin image on purchase intention: The mediating role of brand image and brand evaluation. Management science letters, 10(6), 1205-1212.
Keller, K., & Swaminathan, V. (2020). Strategic brand management: Building, measuring, and managing brand equity (5th ed.). Pearson Education Limited.
K?rcova, I., Yaman, Y., & Kose, S. G. (2021). Instagram, Facebook or Twitter: Which engages best? A comparative study of consumer brand engagement and social commerce purchase intention.
Koschmann, A. (2019). Evaluating the house of brands strategy using brand equity and intra-firm loyalty. Journal of Marketing Management, 7(1), 94-104.
Mahat, N., Mahat, I., & Mustafa, M. (2021). Covid -19 Pandemic: Issues and Challenges Among Women Entrepreneurs in Malaysia. International Journal Of Academic Research In Business And Social Sciences, 11(6), 231-239. https://doi.org/10.6007/IJARBSS/v11-i6
Mohamad, A., Mustapa, A. N., & Razak, H. A. (2021), “An overview of Malaysian Small and Medium Enterprise: Contributions, Issues and Challenges”, Modelling Economic Growth in Contemporary Malaysia (Entrepreneurship and Global Economic Growth). Emerald Publishing Limited, Bingley, 31-42. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-80043-806-420211004
Moslehpour, M., Dadvari, A., Nugroho, W., & Do, B. R. (2020). The dynamic stimulus of social media marketing on purchase intention of Indonesian airline products and services. Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, 33(2), 561-583.
Pathak, K. (2021). Over 82% of small businesses had a negative impact during covid-19: Report. mint. Retrieved 7 July 2021, from
https://www.livemint.com/companies/news/over-82-of-smallbusinesses-had-a-negative-impact-during-covid-19-report-11619101190140.html.
Peei, N. Z. (2022). Identification for problem in business.
Popkova, E. G., Bogoviz, A. V., Lobova, S. V., Chililov, A. M., Sozinova, A. A., & Sergi, B. S. (2022). Changing entrepreneurial attitudes for mitigating the global pandemic’s social drama. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 9(1), 1–12.
https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-022-01151-2
Purwanto, A., Haque, M. G., Sunarsi, D., & Asbari, M. (2021). The Role of Brand Image, Food Safety, Awareness, Certification on Halal Food Purchase Intention: An Empirical Study on Indonesian Consumers. Journal of Industrial Engineering & Management Research, 2(3), 42-52.
Rahmat, M. H., & Mat Isa, S. S. (2019), Perkembangan pembangunan sektor pertanian di melaka, 1957-1980. History Department, University of Malaya, 28(2), 1-9.
Sakdiah. (2022). Identification for problem in business.
Shuhairi, N. L. (2019). Kajian mengikut makanan negeri Melaka. Infrastructure University. IU Press.
Syaffiq, S. (2016). Makanan tradisional di Malaysia. University Malaya. UM Press.
Saleh, A. S., & Ndubisi, N. O. (2006). SME Development in Malaysia: Domestic and global challenges, Department of Economics, University of Wollongong.
Salim, Kalbin. (2018). Pengantar kajian kualitatif [Introduction of qualitative research].
Suhardi, D. A., Susilo, A., Priyanto, S. H., & Abdi, A. S. (2022). Brand auditing and the development of the brand salience management model of the Statistics Study Program. Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, 11(1), 1-23.
United Nations. (2014a). Population division, world urbanization prospects: The 2014 Revision, Highlights (ST/ESA/SER.A/352), Department of Economic and Social Affairs, New York.
United Nations. (2014b). SDG good practices, a compilation of success stories and lesson learned in SDG Implementation Department of Economic and Social Affairs, New York.