An Examination of the Factors Influencing the Green Initiative and Competitiveness of Private Higher Education Institutions in Malaysia

ABSTRACT This study is set to examine factors that influence private higher educational institutions’ (PHEIs) participation in the green initiative and how the green initiative impacts on the competitiveness of PHEIs. Researchers developed a framework that addressed top management support, government support, stakeholder pressure, faculty support, and regulation compliance as factors influencing competitiveness, and the mediating role of the adoption of green initiatives on the above relationship. Few studies had been conducted to test the applicability of the above framework in the Malaysian context. A self-administered questionnaire was given to 452 PHEIs in Malaysia, and the data collected was analyzed using SmartPLS software. Findings revealed that top management support, government support, faculty support, and stake holder pressure played an important and significant role in influencing the competitiveness of PHEIs and the adoption of green initiative did mediate the above relationship. Regulatory compliance was not significant in influencing the green initiatives. Additionally, green initiative was found to mediate the relationship between the influencing factors and competitiveness. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings were discussed, and suggestions for future study were given. Keywords: Green initiatives; competitiveness; support, private higher educational institutions, regulation compliance. ABSTRAK Matlamat utama penyelidikan ini adalah untuk mengkaji factor-faktor mempengaruhi inisiatif hijau dan daya saing di kalangan Institusi Pendidikan Tinggi Swasta (IPTS) di Malaysia. Penyelidik telah membina satu kerangka yang melibatkan sokongan pengurusan atasan, sokongan pihak kerajaan, tekanan pihak berkepentingan, sokongan fakulti, pematuhan peraturan, inisiatif hijau dan daya saing. Kajian ini juga bertujuan menguji sama ada inisiatif hijau merupakan perantara antara faktur-faktur tersebut dengan daya saing. Terdapat kajian yang terhad untuk kerangka tersebut dalam konteks Malaysia. Sebanyak 452 soal-selidik telah diedar ke IPTS di Malaysia dan data yang dikutip dianalisa dengan menggunakan SmartPLS. Dapatan kajian menunjukkan bahawa sokongan pengurusan atasan, sokongan pihak kerajaan dan sokongan fakulti mempunyai kesan positif terhadap inisiatif hijau serta daya saing. Sebaliknya pematuhan peraturan tidak mempunyai kesan positif atas inisiatif hijau. Selain dari itu, hasil kajian menunjukkan inisiatif hijau mempunyai pengaruh yang positif ke atas daya saing serta ia merupakan perantara antara faktur-faktur tersebut dan daya saing. Implikasi dapatan secara teori dan praktik dibincang, disertai dengan cadangan untuk kajian masa hadapan. Kata kunci: Inisiatif hijau; daya saing; sokongan; Institusi Pendidikan Tinggi Swasta; pematuhan peraturan