Leadership Strategies and Food Safety Control Performance: Evidence from a Malaysian Public Regulatory Agency

Food safety remains a major public health and economic concern, requiring regulatory authorities to maintain effective and consistent food safety control throughout the supply chain. Although Malaysia has established comprehensive food safety legislation and regulatory systems, variations in enforcement performance indicate that organizational factors may influence regulatory effectiveness. This study examined the association between leadership strategies and perceived food safety control performance within the Food Safety and Quality Division (FSQD), Ministry of Health Malaysia (MOH). A quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted among 211 permanent Food Technology Officers. Leadership strategies were measured using five dimensions: idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, individualized consideration, and empowering leadership, while food safety control performance was assessed using officers’ perceptions of organizational performance. Data were analyzed using regression analysis and partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). The PLS-SEM results demonstrated a significant positive relationship between leadership strategies and food safety control performance (β = 0.581, t = 9.00, p < .001; 95% CI [0.454, 0.707]). Supplementary regression analysis also showed a positive relationship (unstandardized b = 0.768, t = 21.094, p < .001), with leadership strategies accounting for 68.0% of the variance in perceived food safety control performance in the supplementary regression (R² = 0.680). These findings indicate a positive association between leadership strategies and officers’ assessments of organizational performance. Leadership development may be relevant to regulatory coordination and implementation of food safety policies. The study applies Transformational Leadership Theory in a public food safety regulatory setting and identifies leadership development as an area for further consideration.

Leadership strategies; transformational leadership; food safety control performance

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