ANTECEDENTS OF EMPLOYEE LOYALTY IN AN EMERGING ECONOMY: THE MALAYSIAN MULTIMEDIA SUPER CORRIDOR

Abstract

This paper examines the information and communication technology (ICT) sector of a developing ‘middle income country’, Malaysia. The development of the Malaysian ICT sector was state-led through the creation of the Multimedia Super Corridor, which formed an important plank in the government's stated goal of achieving developed country status by 2020. Earlier research on ICT workers has tended to focus on ICT clusters in developed countries, such as Silicon Valley in the United States. This paper in contrast seeks to draw out significant factors that impact on ICT worker loyalty in a developing middle-income country. It compares and contrasts these findings with prior research on ICT workers in developed economies. The research finds similarities, but also significant differences in the Malaysian context. In contrast to the experience of developed countries, this study found a greater propensity for Malaysian ICT firms to employ their workers on a full-time basis.