Determinants of asset misappropriation in small and medium enterprises: Evidence from Malaysia

This paper investigates the factors that contribute to the occurrence of asset misappropriation in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Malaysia. For a theoretical basis, the fraud hexagon model, which includes pressure, opportunity, rationalisation, capability, ego, and collusion elements, is adopted to guide the study. For the analysis, 306 valid responses from individuals working in diverse SME sectors in Malaysia were obtained via a self-administered questionnaire. Based on the objectives and to test the hypotheses, this research used a quantitative approach. Correlation analysis was utilised to examine the relationship among the independent variables. In addition, multiple regressions were conducted to answer the research questions of this study. The findings show that opportunity, rationalisation, and collusion have a significant relationship with the occurrences of asset misappropriation in Malaysian SMEs, whereby collusion makes the strongest and most significantly unique contribution to explain the occurrences of asset misappropriation. Thus, the study concluded that opportunity, rationalisation, and collusion are indeed significant factors that influence the occurrence of asset misappropriation. This study provides insights for Malaysian SME business owners regarding the minimum monthly salary policy, which should be revisited and reconsidered.