Leadership Style, Training, and Work Ethics as Predictors of Work Performance among Customs Officers in Eastern Malaysia

This study was carried out on public officers working in the eastern region of Malaysia that examines the relationship between leadership style, training, and work ethics toward work performance. It is significant to know the relationship and the impact between the independent variables toward the dependent variable in a public office officers. Self-administered questionnaire was distributed among public officers in the eastern region of Malaysia. The public officers were gathered based on simple random sampling. The data was analyzed using the SPSS. The study discovers a significant high relationship between leadership style, training, and work ethics toward work performance. Moreover, the study also discovers all hypotheses are supported in explaining the public officers on their organizational factors, namely leadership style, training, and work ethics toward work performance. The study contributes to the data collection in a restricted public office in the eastern region of Malaysia. Moreover, the study also contributes to the body of knowledge pertaining to leadership style, training, and work ethics toward work performance on officers of a public office.

Customs officers, Eastern Region Malaysia, leadership style

1. Abasilim, U. D., Gberevbie, D. E., & Osibanjo, O. A. (2019). Leadership styles and employees’ commitment: Empirical evidence from Nigeria. SAGE Open, 9(3), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244019866287 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

2. Arifin, M. A. M., & Ahmad, A. H. (2017). Kepentingan budaya integriti dan etika kerja dalam organisasi di Malaysia: Suatu tinjauan umum. Malaysian Journal of Society and Space, 12(9), 138–149. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

3. Arifin, S., & Putra, A. R. (2020). Employee performance development through work experience, work ethic, compensation. Journal of Business and Management, 22(7), 39–45. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

4. Aziz, S. F. A. (2016). Evaluating training effectiveness using the Malaysian sample: Tracing the mediation effect of training motivation using SEM-AMOS. International Journal of Economics and Financial Issues, 6(6S), 94–100. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

5. Bertsch, A., Saeed, M., Ondracek, J., Sall, M., Knipp, Z., Gust, T., Gallagher, C., Martinez, T. J., & Jisheng, L. (2021). Work ethic across generations in the workplace. Effulgence, 19(2), 18–28. https://doi.org/10.33601/effulgence.rdias/v19/i2/2021/18-28 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

6. Broad, M. L., & Newstrom, J. W. (1992). Transfer of training: Action-packed strategies to ensure high payoff from training investments. Addison-Wesley. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

7. Cabrera, W., & Estacio, D. (2022). Job attitude as a factor on work performance. International Journal of Economic Development Research, 3(1), 13–35. https://doi.org/10.37385/ijedr.v3i1.254 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

8. Campbell, J. P., & Wiernik, B. M. (2015). The modeling and assessment of work performance. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 2, 47–74. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-032414-111427 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

9. Cascio, W. F. (1989). Using utility analysis to assess training outcomes. In I. L. Goldstein (Ed.), Training and development in organizations (pp. 63–88). Jossey-Bass. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

10. Che Rose, R., Ramalu, S. S., Uli, J., & Kumar, N. (2010). Expatriates performance in overseas assignments: The role of big five personality. Asian Social Science, 6(9), 104–113. https://doi.org/10.5539/ass.v6n9p104 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

11. Demir, A., & Budur, T. (2019). Roles of leadership styles in corporate social responsibility to non-governmental organizations (NGOs). International Journal of Social Sciences & Educational Studies, 5(4), 174–183. https://doi.org/10.23918/ijsses.v5i4p174 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

12. Diamantidis, A. D., & Chatzoglou, P. (2019). Factors affecting employees performance: An empirical approach. International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, 68(1), 171–193. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPPM-01-2018-0012 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

13. Drzewiecka, M., & Roczniewska, M. (2018). The relationship between perceived leadership styles and organizational constraints: An empirical study in Goleman’s typology. European Review of Applied Psychology, 68(4–5), 161–169. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erap.2018.08.002 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

14. Elangovan, A. R., & Karakowsky, L. (1999). The role of trainee and environmental factors in transfer of training: An exploratory framework. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 20(5), 268–275. https://doi.org/10.1108/01437739910287180 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

15. Embi, M. A. (2001). Human resource management approach. Utusan Publications & Distributors. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

16. Haryono, S., Supardi, S., & Udin, U. (2020). The effect of training and job promotion on work motivation and its implications on work performance: Evidence from Indonesia. Management Science Letters, 10, 2107–2112. https://doi.org/10.5267/j.msl.2020.1.019 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

17. Hersey, P., & Blanchard, K. H. (1974). What’s missing in MBO? Management Review, 63(1), 25–32. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

18. Hsu, S. J. (2000). The new era of organizational performance evaluation. In Guided reading of Harvard Business Review on measuring corporate performance. Commonwealth Magazines. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

19. Ismail, M. S., Rahman, M. N. A., & Mohamad, I. N. (2018). The relationship between the effectiveness of training and the effect of motivation on work performance public sector personnel: Case studies in polytechnics and community colleges, Jeli, Kelantan. Journal of Business and Hospitality Management, 4(1), 33–39. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

20. Khan, N., Ahmad, N., Iqbal, N., & Haider, N. (2014). Relationship of training and education with employee performance in financial institutions. International Letters of Social and Humanistic Sciences, 41, 150–156. https://doi.org/10.18052/www.scipress.com/ilshs.41.150 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

21. Knoke, D., & Kalleberg, A. L. (1994). Job training in US organizations. American Sociological Review, 59, 537–546. https://doi.org/10.2307/2095930 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

22. Komari, N., & Djafar, F. (2013). Work ethics, work satisfaction and organizational commitment at the Sharia Bank, Indonesia. International Business Research, 6(12), 107–117. https://doi.org/10.5539/ibr.v6n12p107 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

23. Nam, K., & Park, S. (2019). Factors influencing work performance: Organizational learning culture, cultural intelligence, and transformational leadership. Performance Improvement Quarterly, 32, 137–158. https://doi.org/10.1002/piq.21292 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

24. Osibanjo, A. O., Akinbode, J. O., Falola, H. O., & Oludayo, A. O. (2015). Work ethics and employees’ work performance. Journal of Leadership, Accountability and Ethics, 12(1), 107–117. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

25. Paais, M., & Pattiruhu, J. R. (2020). Effect of motivation, leadership, and organizational culture on satisfaction and employee performance. Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business, 7(8), 577–588. https://doi.org/10.13106/jafeb.2020.vol7.no8.577 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

26. Rotundo, M., & Sackett, P. R. (2002). The relative importance of task, citizenship, and counterproductive performance to global ratings of work performance: A policy-capturing approach. Journal of Applied Psychology, 87(1), 66–80. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.87.1.66 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

27. Sapada, A. F. A., Modding, H. B., Gani, A., & Nujum, S. (2018). The effect of organizational culture and work ethics on job satisfaction and employee performance. The International Journal of Engineering and Science, 6(12), 28–36. https://doi.org/10.31219/osf.io/gcep4 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

28. Sharief, S. T. (2014). Job stress and its impact on employees’ performance: A study with reference to employees working in BPOs (Unpublished master’s thesis). The New College. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

29. Sherwani, K. H., & Mohammed, N. H. (2015). An analysis of training and employee performance: A case study in a telecommunication company in Erbil. International Journal of Social Sciences & Educational Studies, 2(2), 74–85. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

30. Simon, S., Christie, M., Graham, W. A., & Call, K. (2014). Pivotal ways of improving leadership and the scholarship of learning and teaching in higher education. e-Journal of Business Education and Scholarship of Teaching, 8(2), 32–38. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

31. West, G. P., III, & Noel, T. W. (2009). The impact of knowledge resources on new venture performance. Journal of Small Business Management, 47(1), 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-627X.2008.00259.x [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

32. Werner, J. M., & DeSimone, R. L. (2006). Human resource development. Thomson South-Western. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

33. Wijaya, B. R., & Supardo, S. (2006). Kepemimpinan: Dasar-dasar dan pengembangannya. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

34. Wright, P., & Geroy, G. (2001). Changing the mindset: The training myth and the need for world-class performance. International Journal of Human Resource Management, 5, 38–42. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

35. Yunus, F. (2003). Analysis of training needs. Malaysian Journal of Social Administration, 2, 1–19. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

36. Zin, M. L. M., & Ibrahim, H. (2015). The relationship between leadership style and financial rewards with perceptions of organizational support. Journal of Business and Social Development, 3(1), 12–24. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

37. Zulkafli, N., & Mahbob, M. H. (2020). The influence of motivational factors on work performance. Journal of Scholarly Discourse, 4(3), 1–11. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

38. Zulkefli, N. A. (2016). The effects of personality traits on work performance among community development department officers in the State of Kelantan (Unpublished master’s thesis). Universiti Utara Malaysia. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

• The Indirect Effect of Liquidity and Activity on Company Value with Profitability as an Intervening Variable
• Effect of Financial Skills, Knowledge, and Attitude on The Financial Behaviour of Clergy
• A Decade of Review: Trends in Budget Execution and Financial Performance of Development Projects in Tanzania (2014/15-2023/24)
• The Influence of Pre-Project Planning on the Budget Absorption Rate of Public Funded Infrastructure Projects in Kenya a Comparative Case Study of Narok, Migori, and Kisii County Government Projects
• Assessment of Factors Influencing Digital Transformation in Hotels’ Facility Management in Abuja Metropolis, Nigeria