Title: Convergence of global and traditional managers' characteristics: a case of senior management of cooperatives in Malaysia

Authors: Yusof Ismail, Suhaimi Mhd Sarif

Addresses: Department of Business Administration, Kulliyyah of Economics and Management Sciences, International Islamic University Malaysia, P.O. Box 10, 50728, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. ' Department of Business Administration, Kulliyyah of Economics and Management Sciences, International Islamic University Malaysia, P.O. Box 10, 50728, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Abstract: Senior management plays a very significant role to enhance the profitability of cooperatives. Unlike traditional companies, which are regulated by the Commission of Companies Malaysia, cooperatives are regulated by the Cooperative Commission of Malaysia. Malaysian cooperative managers may need to adjust to changing global business environment to remain competitive in the economy. This paper attempts to investigate the perceptions of cooperatives| senior management towards managerial roles and global skills, and aggregate the two sets of dimensions into broader categories. Factor analysis of the responses from 133 cooperative managers surveyed suggests that Malaysian cooperative managers are expected to have three composite skills labelled as cultural adaptability, public relations, and human development.

Keywords: cooperatives; global managers; senior management; Malaysia; globalisation; composite skills; cultural adaptability; public relations; human development.

DOI: 10.1504/JIBED.2010.035198

Journal for International Business and Entrepreneurship Development, 2010 Vol.5 No.1, pp.28 - 47

Published online: 14 Sep 2010 *

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