Objective -
This study profiles organisational integrity among SME entrepreneurs in Shah Alam, one of economic centre in Malaysia based on using Rasch person measures analysis. Integrity is treated as an organisational capability expressed through operating controls, disclosure practices, core values and a culture of integrity.
Methodology/Technique -
A cross-sectional survey was administered to registered SMEs. Contact information for 90 firms was obtained from the Registrar of Companies Malaysia, with twice follow-up rounds by email and telephone. A 40-item, five-category instrument grounded in (Kayes et al., 2007) was analysed using the Rasch model in Winsteps.
Findings -
The study developed and applied a 40-item SME integrity instrument based on Kayes et al.'s four organizational integrity domains. The instrument demonstrated good reliability, with an item reliability coefficient of 0.86. The profiling results indicate that long-established firms generally showed stronger integrity measures than younger firms, while certified firms showed the highest integrity. These patterns are descriptive and do not establish causal relationships yet consistently supported by previous research.
Novelty -
The study operationalises Kayes et al.'s organisational integrity framework into a structured SME integrity instrument and extends its application through Rasch person measures to generate development-oriented integrity profiles for SME capability-building.
Type of Paper -
Empirical
Keywords:
Entrepreneurship; integrity instrument; Organisational integrity; Rasch model; SME (Small and Medium Enterprise).
JEL Classification:
L26; M14; L15
URI:
https://gatrenterprise.com/GATRJournals/GJBSSR/vol14.3_1.html
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35609/gjbssr.2026.14.3(1)
Pages
85–94