The development of socio-technical approach to enhance the usage of MYeHALAL system in Melaka, Malaysia

• Main Author: Abu Bakar, Nurdinah
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English; English
• Published: 2020
• Subjects: H Social Sciences (General); HF Commerce
• Online Access: http://eprints.utem.edu.my/id/eprint/25999/1/The%20development%20of%20socio-technical%20approach%20to%20enhance%20the%20usage%20of%20MYeHALAL%20system%20in%20Melaka%2C%20Malaysia.pdf; http://eprints.utem.edu.my/id/eprint/25999/2/The%20development%20of%20socio-technical%20approach%20to%20enhance%20the%20usage%20of%20MYeHALAL%20system%20in%20Melaka%2C%20Malaysia.pdf; http://eprints.utem.edu.my/id/eprint/25999/; https://plh.utem.edu.my/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumber=121286

The aim of JAKIM MYeHALAL system implementation is to facilitate the halal certification in Malaysia. However, it is hardly achievable considering the discouraging acceptance among the MYeHALAL system users. Some halal applicants consider the system is complex and complicated to use, resulting in the prolonged or rejected application. Some companies resort to hiring external consultant agencies to perform the halal certification applications for them and creates unnecessary charges to the companies. Therefore, this research aimed to address three (3) research objectives, firstly, to investigate the actors/factors that limit and facilitate the use of the MYeHALAL system, secondly, to explore how actors influence each other (facilitate and hindrance) in enhancing the usage of MYeHALAL system, and thirdly, to develop a socio-technical model for the applicants to improve their competency towards an enhanced usage of MYeHALAL system. Considering the usage of the MYeHALAL system is a combined interaction of social and technical elements, this research applied Actor-Network Theory (ANT), a theory that enables an equal treatment of analysis for both human (social) and non-human (technical) elements in one analysis, the translation process. Framed by ANT, this study has conducted semi-structured interviews with 14 halal applicants and three (3) officers from JAKIM and JAIM. Three (3) problems were identified as operational problems, applicants’ problems and technical problems. Besides, further investigation also revealed four (4) main factors, applicants, technology, guidelines and organisations which cooperatively influenced the usage of the MYeHALAL system. The detailed information of these factors were explained to get a clear understanding of their roles towards the online halal certification application. From that, this study developed a socio-technical model that can be used as a guidance for the policymaker in stressing on the crucial parts that required to be understood by the halal applicants in ensuring successful usage of the online halal certification. However, as this research was carried out specifically among halal food/beverages/food supplement manufacturers in Melaka, Malaysia and it is limited on the MYeHALAL system usage, it is suggested for further research to investigate on other scopes of certification schemes or in a wider context of national levels, or, on other online halal certification application systems developed by other halal certifier bodies worldwide.