Paper info

The social-political role of NGOs in the Malaysian housing market: a case study on the triadic business network

Chee Wei Cheah, Christina K.C. Lee and Brian K.H. Low

The paper was published at the 33rd IMP-conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 2017.

Not available

This study examines the institutional setting and decision-making structures among the key industry actors in the Malaysian housing industry, using network and institutional theory as a theoretical lens. It aims to uncover the role of NGOs, organizations and government at a collective level within a highly “institutionalised” business environment. This research employed the case study research approach, using in-depth interviews, purposefully selected industry actors within the housing market, online observations and documents. The findings suggest that NGOs play an influential role in industry interactions and outcomes. This study contributes to our understanding of how NGOs interact with regulators and industry players. It also demonstrates how these parties co-evolve and respond to institutional pressures in a housing market which is bound by a highly restricted housing policy. An understanding on how the interactions among all the actors within a network affect each other’s decisions may assist policy makers in formulating policies to improve business efficiency and businesses in formulating their collective strategies.