Attitude, subjective norms and intention to enlist non-Bumiputra in the Malaysian Army: moderating effect of self-efficacy / Mohd Hisham Abdul Halim

Mohd Hisham , Abdul Halim (2022) Attitude, subjective norms and intention to enlist non-Bumiputra in the Malaysian Army: moderating effect of self-efficacy / Mohd Hisham Abdul Halim. PhD thesis, Universiti Malaya.

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Abstract

National unity is important for a multi-ethnic nation to ensure peace and stability. As a result, the Malaysian government promotes national unity through several different policies, one of which is the fair representation of ethnic groups in civil service. The balanced representation of ethnic groups in the Royal Malaysian Army (RMA) is highly important. It ensures the credibility and competence of the RMA in protecting all Malaysians’ interest. Consequences of single ethnic military either intentionally or unintentionally are a threat to peace and security in a multi-ethnic country. The changing nature of warfare over time effect of the end of Cold War, from ideology clashes to economic, social, ethnic and religious clashes, threatens the weak link (i.e., national unity) of a multi-ethnic country especially in military organization. RMA faces an imbalance of ethnic groups, despite substantial efforts by RMA, data shows that the number of non-Bumiputra enlisted in the army is extremely low and does not portray a fair representation of the ethnic distribution in Malaysia. To address this issue, this applied research studied the intention to enlist of non-Bumiputra in the RMA. Limited literature regarding ethnic enlistment in military specifically in Malaysian context and diversity of issue in military enlistment due to ethnic disparity, preliminary investigation was conducted prior to the actual research to frame the problem statement in the RMA setting. Based on the findings of the investigation, three most important factor of non-Bumiputra’ intention to enlist in the MA were identified: attitude, subjective norms, and self-efficacy. Thus, this study applied the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) to examine the impacts of attitude and subjective norms on the intention to enlist of non-Bumiputra in the RMA, particularly via the moderating effect of self-efficacy. Quantitative measurement scales were adopted from previous studies to design the research instrument, which rigorously assessed via pre-testing and pilot testing to ensure its validity and reliability. Data was collected from non-Bumiputra in Malaysia aged between 19 and 24 via an online survey (Google Form). Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) was then employed to validate the research model and test the hypotheses. All the four hypotheses were supported. Attitude and subjective norms were found to have a significance positive relation to intention to enlist in MA. Moderation of self-efficacy for both relation (attitude and subjective norms to intention to enlist was found to be positive relationship. The findings made a significance contribution to the understanding of the relationships between the predictors of intention to enlist of non-Bumiputra in RMA. Theoretically, this study enriches the knowledge base of the TRA by identifying and testing the predictors of the intention to enlist of non-Bumiputra in Malaysian military setting. Introducing self-efficacy as moderator in TRA also contribute to the body of knowledge on TRA application. From managerial perspective, the findings of this applied research offer guidelines and solutions to the issue faced by the RMA regarding the low enlistment of non-Bumiputra.

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