Fadhlur Rahim Azmi

This study examines how micro and small food businesses make pricing decisions under cost volatility, customer affordability pressure, and value perception constraints. Drawing on semi-structured interview evidence from 12 Malaysian micro and small food and beverage businesses, this study adopts an interpretive qualitative multiple-case design. The data were analysed using thematic analysis and cross-case comparison, with dynamic capabilities as an interpretive lens. The findings show that pricing is not a simple cost-plus calculation or the application of a single pricing method. Instead, micro and small food businesses practice adaptive hybrid pricing by combining cost awareness, competitor reference, affordability judgment, value protection, and operational adjustment. This study develops the concept of a pricing corridor, where cost functions as the pricing floor, customer affordability functions as the pricing ceiling, and value perception operates as the mechanism of price acceptance. Businesses respond to pricing pressure through gradual price adjustments, supplier searches, portion maintenance, student pricing, product-size adjustments, platform-specific pricing, promotions, menu revisions, and simple cost-tracking tools. This study contributes to the pricing strategy literature by explaining how hybrid pricing operates under the boundary conditions of owner-managed micro and small food businesses with limited pricing analytics, direct customer interaction, volatile input costs, and constrained price pass-through capacity. It also contributes to the SME capability literature by showing how sensing, seizing, and reconfiguring are enacted through everyday pricing routines.

Global supply chains have become increasingly complex and interconnected, making them highly susceptible to disruptions caused by pandemics, geopolitical instability, and climate-related events. These vulnerabilities are especially pronounced in emerging economies, where manufacturing sectors are heavily reliant on international networks. Despite increasing academic and managerial focus on supply chain resilience, existing models often examine risk management, resilience, performance, and sustainability in isolation, lacking an integrated perspective. This paper develops a conceptual framework grounded in Dynamic Capabilities Theory (DCT) to explain how firms can enhance supply chain performance by leveraging structured risk management practices and sustainability initiatives. The framework integrates four key constructs, which are Supply Chain Risk Management (SCRM), Supply Chain Resilience (SCR), Supply Chain Performance (SCP), and Sustainability Efforts (SE), with SE acting as a moderating factor that amplifies the relationship between SCRM and SCR. By aligning these constructs with DCT’s core functions of sensing, seizing, and transforming, the model provides a holistic explanation of how firms can build adaptive and responsive supply chains. The paper offers four theoretical propositions and outlines practical and policy-oriented implications, contributing to the development of more resilient and sustainable supply chain strategies, particularly in developing manufacturing contexts.

This study presents a systematic literature review (SLR) aimed at identifying key strategies and challenges associated with supply chain resilience (SCR) within the manufacturing sector. Guided by the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) framework, the review encompassed 83 peer-reviewed articles published between 2014 and 2025, sourced from Scopus and Web of Science databases. The findings reveal five principal SCR strategies: (1) risk management, (2) collaboration and visibility, (3) supplier selection, (4) digital technology adoption, and (5) sustainability practices. The analysis suggests that organizations engaging in digital transformation and sustainable practices exhibit higher adaptive capacity in the face of disruptions. Nevertheless, the implementation of these strategies is often hindered by unpredictability, financial limitations, and regulatory complexities. The study underscores the limitations of relying solely on secondary data, emphasizing the need for future research incorporating empirical validations through industry surveys and interviews. By consolidating the fragmented literature, this review contributes a structured framework to support policymakers and practitioners in designing robust SCR strategies suited for an increasingly volatile global manufacturing environment.

This paper offers a comprehensive exploration of circular supply chain management (CSCM) in the context of developing countries, unveiling a multifaceted landscape of challenges, opportunities, strategies and future prospects. Challenges facing these nations in embracing CSCM include a lack of waste infrastructure, limited awareness and education, financial constraints, a shortage of technical expertise, barriers to accessing global markets, and a dearth of data and information. These challenges underscore the need for tailored, context-specific solutions to establish a robust foundation for CSCM. The study looks ahead and predicts that soon there will be more circular business models, less waste management and more resource optimization, more local circular ecosystems, and more streamlined circular supply chains. Technological advancements, such as blockchain, the Internet of Things (IoT) and data analytics, are poised to revolutionize CSCM. Increased global awareness of environmental issues and sustainability will be a driving force for change, with academia, businesses, and governments playing pivotal roles in shaping this future. This paper emphasizes the pivotal role of CSCM in advancing sustainable development, both in developing countries and globally. It underscores the critical importance of a steadfast commitment to sustainability, circularity, and responsible resource management for the future of these nations and the entire planet.

The goal of the paper is to compare technology transfer centers in Poland and Malaysia. Therefore, the authors decided to use the comparative analysis method. The findings show that technology transfer and commercialization efforts both in Poland and Malaysia are on the right track. This demonstrates the universities’ persistent dedication to turning research and innovative ideas into concrete products, as seen by the university’s sustained growth in total product commercialization. It emphasizes the critical role that they play in promoting technological transfers, particularly for SMEs. The paper contributes to the macroeconomics theory in the area of public policy. Furthermore, it also provides insights into the theory of incentives, particularly in the field of non-financial support. The findings could be of interest to policymakers on macro and micro levels.

This review paper covers important gaps in the knowledge base on food security, which have an impact on world development and cause an estimated 820 million people to suffer from chronic hunger and malnutrition. Food waste, climate change, socioeconomic considerations, agricultural policy, access to wholesome foods, food sovereignty, and food security are some of the major topics covered in the literature. Because of this, ensuring food security is not a straightforward issue that can be resolved by changing a single variable; rather, it necessitates the combination of numerous multidisciplinary approaches. Therefore, the goal of this study is to pinpoint the major gaps in the literature, such as a lack of attention to the perspectives of marginalized groups and a lack of investigation into the connections between food security and other global issues. The article offers suggestions for future work, including how to prioritize understudied subjects, incorporate other points of view, and enhance data collection techniques. As a result, it can be a useful starting point for linguists who want to research related topics. This study offers new researchers and practitioners a place to start to learn more about the rapidly, growing field of sustainable food security. Future research can also address these gaps and enhance food security globally for a sustainable future. This will require the participation of new scholars, policymakers, and practitioners.

This paper comprehensively reviews the labor shortages faced by Malaysian manufacturing firms and analyzes the impact of various new sourcing strategies on production performance. The focus of this review centers on several emerging sourcing strategies, namely automation and robotics, training and development programs, local talent utilization, collaboration with educational institutions, and the utilization of gig workers and freelancers. The literature review critically evaluates the effects of these new strategies on production performance, taking into consideration factors such as cost-effectiveness, efficiency, flexibility, and quality control. In conclusion, this paper suggests several implications for Malaysian manufacturing firms, including the adoption of new sourcing strategies, investment in technological infrastructure and human capital, and collaboration with government agencies and other stakeholders. Additionally, the paper highlights the need for further research in this area and provides recommendations for policymakers and practitioners to effectively address the labor shortages and enhance production performance in the Malaysian manufacturing sector.