How Different Ownership Structures Perform in Industry 4.0: A Case of Malaysian Manufacturing SMEs

Small and medium enterprises are vital components for economic growth globally. Similarly, the Malaysian manufacturing SMEs has contributed greatly in developing Malaysia’s economy. However, higher failure rate of the Malaysian SMEs is a great concern among researchers and government bodies. Currently, the industry 4.0 has changed the business environment globally. Therefore, this study attempts to investigate the relationship of ownership structures on firm performance with a mediating role of innovation. Baron and Kenny approach of mediation analysis was used on the sample of the Malaysian manufacturing SMEs. The results revealed that, majority SMEs prefer traditional business methods, which causes the higher failure rate in the industry