Barriers to Flexible Work Arrangements (FWA) in Malaysian Knowledge-based Industries

Flexible work arrangement (FWA) is a logical work design in an emerging digital economy such as Malaysia. While employee demand for greater work flexibility has been steadily increasing, the extent of actual FWA implementation in Malaysia is not equally encouraging. Hence, this exploratory study aims to investigate the barriers that are hindering the implementation of FWA in Malaysian knowledge-based industries. Self-administered questionnaire was distributed to a total of 170 managers from MSC Malaysia Status (formerly known as Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) Status) companies. The study finds insufficient evidence to explain the low level of FWA implementation in MSC Malaysia Status knowledge-based companies. To address the knowledge gap, future research can focus on a more comprehensive assessment of the implications of FWA on both employers and employees.