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Final Draft Post-refereeing (Post-Print)
Motivations and Limitations in Implementing Halal Food Certification:
A Pareto Analysis
Mohamed Syazwan Ab Talib
Faculty of Management, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia,
81310 Johor Bahru, Malaysia
msyazwan79@live.utm.my
Abu Bakar Abdul Hamid
UTM International Business School, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia,
54000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Thoo Ai Chin
Faculty of Management, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia,
81310 Johor Bahru, Malaysia
Appeared in:
British Food Journal, Vol. 117 No. 11, pp. 2664-2705
DOI: 10.1108/BFJ-02-2015-0055
Publisher:
Emerald Group Publishing Limited
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Motivations and Limitations in Implementing Halal Food Certification:
A Pareto Analysis
Purpose: The purpose of this study is to review, analyse, and synthesise the motivation and
limitation factors in implementing Halal food certification.
Design/methodology/approach: A systematic online library search gathered 50 recent
journal articles between the years 2004 and 2014. After common motivation and limitation
factors were identified and reviewed, a Pareto analysis was performed. This is done to
prioritise the motivation and limitation factors and ultimately revealed the major factors
that influence the implementation of Halal food certification.
Findings: A total of 36 motivation and 37 limitation factors were identified. Through Pareto
analysis, 15 motivation factors accounted for 80.07 percent and 20 limitation factors are
responsible for 79.65 percent. These factors are considered the major factors in
implementing Halal food certification.
Practical implications: For academicians, this study provides the most recent review of food
safety and quality certification literature and the highlighted factors could assist in designing
research instruments and set the foundation for future research endeavours. For
industrialists, factors drawn from this study highlights the information critical for effective
and efficient decision-making.
Originality/value: This paper is unique as it is the first study to review and analyse the
relevant literature from which we synthesised the major factors in implementing Halal food
certification. The result of this study will provide greater insights to researchers, food
companies, and other stakeholders in an effort to encourage greater implementation of
Halal food certification.
Keywords: Halal; Halal food certification; food safety certification; Pareto analysis; literature
review
Article Classification: Literature Review
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1. Introduction
The profound role of religion continues to be one of the most significant current discussions
in food production and consumption. Consumers are seeking foods that are prepared in line
with their religions’ teachings because eating is a form of worship and an act to safeguard
their faith (Regenstein et al., 2003; Marzuki et al., 2012a). For food producers and
manufacturers, religion dictates business conduct, and at times, is used as a guideline in
ensuring food safety and quality (Abuznaid, 2009; Farouk et al., 2014).
Unique to Muslim consumers, Islam urges its devotees to consume foods that are clean,
safe, and wholesome; in other words, Halal. Linguistically, Halal derives from Arabic and
translates as ‘permissible’ in English. Putting Halal in the context of food and food
industries, it indicates food that is safely and hygienically prepared and is permissible for
consumption. Consuming only Halal food is one of the fundamental aspects of being a
Muslim and such an obligation is specifically mentioned in both the Quran and Sunnah (the
teachings and practices of Prophet Muhammad PBUH):
O believers! Eat of the good (lawful) things which We have provided you, and be
grateful to Allah, it is He whom you worship. (Al-Baqarah: 172)
At present, Halal is no longer only for Muslims and is more than just a religious obligation.
According to Lada et al. (2009, p. 66), “[Halal] is in the realm of business and trade, and it is
becoming a global symbol for quality assurance and lifestyle choice”. Furthermore, Thomson
Reuters reported that the Halal market, especially the Halal food market, is one of the
largest consumer markets in the world with over US$ 1 trillion in value. The rising Muslim
population and the wide acceptance among non-Muslims contribute to the surge in demand
for Halal food. This indicates that Halal food is at the centre of a global consumer market
and food companies are aggressively incorporating Halal principles into their business
operations.
Major food companies, such as McDonald’s and Nestle, are committed to ensuring that
their products are Halal, especially when serving Muslim-majority markets (Fischer, 2012).
Such a strategy is undertaken to further establish their market position, expanding their
market share, and winning over the food-sensitive Muslim consumers. However, in order to
do so, food companies must first ensure that their entire production chain and outputs are
certified Halal by an established Halal certification authority. This exercise is crucial because
obtaining Halal certification allows for greater domestic and international business
opportunities (Hassan, 2011) while failure to do so may lead to reduced sales in addition to
hefty fines (Rezai et al., 2012).
Halal certification can be defined as “a document issued by an Islamic organisation certifying
that the products listed on it meet Islamic dietary guidelines” (Riaz and Chaudry, 2003, p.
170). In addition, Halal certification is a type of food safety certification indicating that the
bearer (a food company) has undertaken rigorous examinations and inspections to ensure
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that the particular product adheres to the specified Halal best practices (Latif et al., 2014;
Nawi and Nasir, 2014). Halal certification is in the form of authenticate certificate and a
unique logo showcased on product packaging or business premises.
2. Problem Statement and Objectives
Despite its importance, Halal certification suffers from several major drawbacks. First, the
lack of knowledge among food companies devalues the true purpose of securing Halal
certification. Drawing from the work of Othman et al. (2009), food companies lack a clear
understanding and appreciation of the need to implement Halal certification. The study
reported that firms are implementing Halal certification as a means to compete with rival
firms, and on the basis of following local business norms. Motivations such as ‘to ensure
Halal product integrity’ or ‘to maintain product safety and quality’ remain absent. This
indicates that food companies have limited knowledge in the importance of implementing
Halal certification.
In recent years, there has been an increasing amount of literature on Halal certification.
However, the scope heavily emphasises on consumerism, such as consumer purchase
intention (Aziz and Chok, 2012), consumer confidence (Mohamed et al., 2013), consumer
behaviour (Alam and Sayuti, 2011), and consumer willingness to pay (Verbeke et al., 2013).
Unfortunately, there has been limited insights from the manufacturing side of the Halal food
chain that specifically discuss the motivation to implement Halal food certification. Several
attempts have been made to address the issue (see Othman et al., 2009; Badruldin et al.,
2012; Marzuki et al., 2012b) but due to its limited range, findings remain largely
inconclusive.
One of the greatest challenges in Halal food certification is the use of fraudulent and
dubious accreditation. According to Rezai et al. (2012), after a series of inspections and
raids, authorities have uncovered numerous cases of fake Halal logos and the use of suspect
ingredients. Moreover, Talib and Johan (2012) further stated that firms are able to acquire
Halal certification from an unauthorised certification body, thus compromising the integrity
of Halal food products in the market. These instances raise the questions of ‘why firms seek
fake certification?’, and more precisely, ‘what are the hindering factors that might have
caused firms to commit fraudulent acts?’. While some research (Badruldin et al., 2012; Talib
and Hamid, 2014) has been carried out to pinpoint the limiting factors in securing Halal
certification, no studies have provided a thorough investigation on the various limitations
encountered prior to Halal food certification. Hence, an in-depth exploration on the topic of
limitations to Halal food certification rightly calls for attention.
Based on the issues mentioned above, this study sets out to investigate the motivation and
limitation factors in implementing Halal food certification. Specifically, this study seeks to:
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To determine the motivation and limitation to implement Halal food certification by
reviewing relevant food certification literature.
To analyse and prioritise, through the use of Pareto Analysis, the motivations and
limitations in implementing Halal food certification.
To identify the major motivation and limitation factors in implementing Halal food
certification.
The overall structure of this review takes the form of six sections, including the introductory
section and this problem statement and objectives section. The third section of this paper
reviews the motivations and limitations to implement certification. The fourth section
presents the analytical analysis of the reviewed literature through the use of Pareto
analysis. Section five provides a comprehensive discussion highlighting the major motivation
and limitation factors in implementing Halal food certification. The last section concludes
with a brief summary of the findings and highlights the potential areas for further research.
3. Literature Review
Studying and understanding the motivation and limitation factors for Halal certification is
important because it provides meaningful insights to researchers, food companies, and
other stakeholders in an effort to inspire broader implementation of food safety
certification (Tunalioglu et al., 2012). Moreover, it is equally important to rank and prioritise
the motivation and limitation factors as it gives an in-depth understanding of the critical
factors in implementing food safety certification (Fotopoulos et al., 2011). Accordingly,
taking into perspective the points made by Fotopoulos et al. (2011) and Tunalioglu et al.
(2012), we argue that it is imperative to study and understand the motivation and limitation
factors in implementing Halal food certification. Furthermore, in view of the recent rise in
demand for Halal food products, this study offers food companies a comprehensive
understanding of the major factors that influence the implementation of Halal food
certification.
Before proceeding to review the relevant literature, and ultimately fulfil the first objective, it
is necessary to note that due to the limited literature on Halal certification, the motivation
and limitation factors to Halal food certification are extracted from other forms of food
safety and quality certification standards, specifically the Hazard Analysis and Critical
Control Points (HACCP) and the Food Safety Management System (ISO 22000). As pointed
out by Latif et al. (2014), the Halal food certification approach is consistent with the best
practices of other types of food quality assurance standards. Furthermore, Kohilavani et al.
(2013) observed that the Halal dietary requirements can be harmonised with the principles
and concepts of HACCP, thus indicating that Halal certification is engrained in the doctrines
of safety, hygiene, and wholesomeness. Therefore, our method of reviewing HACCP and ISO
22000 relevant literature as the basis of the literature review is deemed appropriate.
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3.1. Review Methodology
Having explained the basis of our literature review, we now proceed to the scope of the
review. Firstly, an exhaustive online library search was conducted from October until
December 2014. This was approached with the aim to identify the existing literature on the
motivation and limitation factors for certification. Secondly, the initial online search yielded
2,476 journal articles. As the number of search results was expected to be massive, time-
specific and keyword-sensitive search techniques were applied.
The search was limited to the most recent 10 years of publication, between 2004 and 2014.
Only journal articles published within the last decade were included, thereby managing to
omit redundancy and maintain relevancy of the topic at hand. Other types of publications
such as conference papers and magazine articles were rejected. With regard to the
keyword-sensitive search technique, several keywords were predetermined by the authors
after a brainstorming session. The generic keywords used for online search were “food
certification”, “food safety/quality standards”, “food safety certification”, “food industry”,
“certification motivation/barrier”, “motivation”, “barrier”, “HACCP”, and “ISO 22000”. These
generic terms must be included either in the title, the keywords, and/or the abstract of a
journal article. In the end, a total of 50 journal articles were selected for the present review.
The 50 selected journal articles from the systematic search is summarised in Table 1. The
following subsections review the motivation and limitation factors in implementing
certification.
–– Refer to Dataset for Table 1 ––
3.2. Motivation to Certification
Frequent cases of food contamination and foodborne illnesses have caused consumers to
question the safety and quality of the food preparation, handling, and distribution. In an
attempt to resolve the issue and to reinstate consumer confidence, food companies are
striving to ensure that every product in the market is certified and endorsed by legitimate
certification authorities. Recent evidence suggests that being certified signifies that a food
company is determined to ensure and improve product safety and quality (Mensah and
Julien, 2011; Macheka et al., 2013; Chen et al., 2014; Escanciano and Santos-Vijande 2014a).
Moreover, the determination to increase product safety and quality is among the top
motivation factor among food companies in the United Kingdom (Mensah and Julien, 2011),
New Zealand (Chen et al., 2014), Malaysia, (Fernando et al., 2014), Serbia (Tomašević et al.,
2013), and China (Bai et al., 2007). Similarly, aside from improving the food safety and
quality, studies have shown that food companies are committed to implement certification
as an effort to protect the consumers from the potential presence of foodborne diseases
(Macheka et al., 2013) and to lower the risk of compromising food safety (Jin et al., 2008).
Therefore, the motivation to implement food certification is motivated by the commitment
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to offer safe and quality food in the market, while at the same time providing assurance to
consumers that the products are safe for consumption.
Even though it seems that firms are initiating the motivation towards food certification,
several studies indicate that the initiative is in response to the demand and pressure from
the consumers. According to Fikru (2014), international firms, especially food businesses,
are being compelled by the demand from local consumers causing them to become
certified. In addition, the demand from the domestic food market has put pressure on local
food companies, and eventually motivating them to implement certification (Fotopoulos et
al., 2010). The motivation to implement certification is also the result of ensuring consumer
satisfaction and fulfilling the demand for quality and safer food (Psomas et al., 2012;
Strohbehn et al., 2014). Thus, conforming to customer pressures and ensuring customer
satisfaction is eminent because it enables firms to attract new customers, retain existing
ones, and create loyalty (Herath and Henson, 2006; Sarter and Sarter, 2012).
Aside from consumer pressure, pressure from government regulations and policies could
also directly or indirectly motivate food companies to implement certification. Much of the
available literature on motivation for food certification highlights governmental pressure as
a significant driving factor (Yapp and Fairman, 2006; Celaya et al., 2007; Othman et al.,
2009; Wilcock et al., 2011; Milios et al., 2013; Chen et al., 2014; Maldonado-Siman et al.,
2014). For instance, Wilcock et al. (2011) observed that complying with the Canadian
government regulation could become the main motivational factor for implementing HACCP
in the coming years. This is consistent with Tomašević et al. (2013) where the Serbian
government legislated industry-wide mandatory commitment to HACCP certification. In
contrast, although food safety management standards are not mandatory in New Zealand,
the food companies are still motivated to become certified (Chen et al., 2014).
Regardless of whether certification is mandatory or non-mandatory, firms are motivated to
become certified because it is believed to facilitate international market expansion. As
highlighted by Arpanutud et al. (2009), Fotopoulos et al. (2011), Teixeira and Sampaio
(2013), Escanciano and Santos-Vijande (2014a), and Fernando et al. (2014), firms are driven
by the prospect of establishing business overseas and easy entry into the foreign markets.
For instance, Arpanutud et al. (2009) mentioned that the adoption of food certification can
broaden a firm’s business territory, and although costs is an issue, the economic benefits
outweigh the financial commitment. In terms of easing the entry into overseas markets,
being certified is advantageous for food companies. Firms that possess internationally
recognised food certification may overcome export barriers and easing market entry
(Mensah and Julien, 2011; Massoud et al., 2010; Karipidis et al., 2009). This indicates that
firms are motivated to implement certification as it offers benefits both in local and foreign
markets.
Resulting from the ability to operate in domestic and international food markets, firms are
consequently motivated to implement certification because it can improve the market
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share. Besides, although small firms may not have the financial muscle and infrastructure to
expand their business overseas, they are still able to compete for local market share growth.
Though it might be difficult, Karipidis et al. (2009) reported that the chance to increase
market share motivates small food enterprises to opt for certification standards. In relation
to medium and large food companies, Jin et al. (2008) expressed that the Chinese firms are
also motivated to increase the market share and ultimately become a market leader in
China. In comparison, referring to the review by Fotopoulos et al. (2011), becoming a
market leader (increase market share) is a less significant motivation to certification. The
review by Fotopoulos et al. (2011) may be theoretical, but in the actual scenario, several
studies have revealed that enlarging the market share is one of the main motivations in
implementing certification (Bai et al., 2007; Herath and Henson, 2006; Macheka et al., 2013;
Milios et al., 2013; Escanciano and Santos-Vijande, 2014a; Fernando et al., 2014; Fikru,
2014).
Inter-firm competition is another motivational factor that drives firms to implement food
certification. Due to the highly competitive food market, rival firms are indirectly
pressurising competing firms and thus incidentally motivating other competitors to become
certified (Othman et al., 2009; Arpanutud et al., 2009; Fotopoulos et al., 2010; Mensah and
Julien, 2011; Chen et al., 2014; Escanciano and Santos-Vijande, 2014a; Fikru, 2014). As
pointed out by Othman et al. (2009), a non-certified firm feels the pressure when a
certified-rival firm business is performing well. This instigates the non-certified firm to mimic
the rival’s strategy and hopefully emulate the rival’s success. Concurrently, Fikru (2014)
suggested that local food companies are motivated to implement certification in an attempt
to mimic the international firms, while the international firms are mimicking local firms as
an effort to adapt to local business practices. Therefore, regardless whether a firm is
competing locally or internationally, they are indirectly coerced and motivated to
implement certification because it can improve their image and reputation.
Generally, food companies produce and sell homogeneous products within a competitive,
sensitive, and saturated market. As a result, firms depend on their image and reputation in
an effort to remain competitive. In particular, firms turn their attention towards
implementing certification as a strategy to compete using the intangible element of image
and reputation (Khatri and Collins, 2007; Ramnauth et al., 2008; Karipidis et al., 2009;
Fotopoulos et al., 2011; Milios et al., 2013; Escanciano and Santos-Vijande, 2014a). The
study by Khatri and Collins (2007) suggested that an effective food safety certification is vital
in the present business environment as it can enhance a firm’s image and reputation, and
ultimately differentiate a firm from its competitors. A recent study by Escanciano and
Santos-Vijande (2014a) reinforced the profound role of food certification as a tool to
heighten a firm’s reputation even in business-to-business export markets. This suggests that
food enterprises are motivated to strive for certification in order to improve their corporate
image and reputation, and in turn, attract more customers.
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There is a large volume of published studies that described the role of food certification in
improving the internal aspect of a company. To begin with, firms implement food
certification with the objective of improving the internal operation (Strohbehn et al., 2004;
Yapp and Fairman, 2006; Griffith et al., 2010; Vladimirov, 2011; Kafetzopoulos and
Gotzamani, 2014; Chen et al., 2014). For example, the objectives behind the pursuit of
certification are to improve production efficiency, to practice efficient internal food safety
procedures, to have better internal communication, and to standardise internal processes
and productivity. Additionally, past studies indicate that firms are motivated to implement
certification as a way to reduce waste and practicing cost reduction. According to Psomas et
al. (2012) and Milios et al. (2013), certification ensures food production and preparation are
in-line with the stipulated guidelines and therefore could minimise production defects and
marginalise rate of rejection and rework. As a consequence, the number of customer
complaints can be reduced (Fotopoulos et al., 2011; Maldonado-Siman et al., 2014).
Another internal aspect that motivates food companies to implement certification is the
desire to have an effective and efficient workforce. A number of studies have found that
food enterprises implement certification with the aim to stimulate employees’ motivation
(Ramnauth et al., 2008), to encourage commitment and awareness in food safety among
the employees (Fotopoulos et al., 2009; Maldonado-Siman et al., 2014), to improve
employee performance (Psomas et al., 2012), as well as to attract and retain skilled
employees (Karipidis et al., 2009; Wu, 2012). Admittedly, Wilcock et al. (2011) argued that
the success of food safety certification lies in the availability of dedicated and meticulous
experts who can supervise the entire certification exercises from the initial application to
the maintenance of the certification. This signifies the criticality of human resource in
implementing certification as it can be an impetus for other factors motivating food
certification.
In view of all that has been mentioned thus far, one may suggest that there are various
motivational factors for certification. It should be emphasised that the motivation factors
discussed earlier do not apply to every firm because the driving factors may vary depending
on a firm’s nature of business, geographical areas, target markets, size of operation, and the
availability of resources. Furthermore, it is insufficient to concentrate and understand only
the motivational factors because it could be offset by the barriers that might impede the
success of certification implementation. Therefore, the following section will review the
limitation factors in implementing food certification.
3.3. Limitations to Certification
As mentioned earlier, human resource is one of the motivating factors in implementing
certification. However, the human element could also be the limiting factor in successfully
implementing certification. There is a general consensus that the lack of skills and
knowledge in food safety is hindering the implementation of certification (Eves and Dervisi,
2005; Yapp and Fairman, 2006; Baş et al., 2007; Violaris et al., 2008; Karaman et al., 2012;
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Tunalioglu et al., 2012; Pswarayi et al., 2014). In Turkey, Karaman et al. (2012) discovered
that the lack of knowledge and poor understanding of food safety are impeding firms from
engaging in certification standards. Similarly, due to the deprived knowledge, employees are
having difficulties in interpreting the complicated certification manuals (Baş et al., 2007).
The deficiency of knowledge in food certification causes the employees to neglect food
safety and lessens their awareness of the importance of implementing certification
(Macheka et al. 2013; Strohbehn et al., 2014).
The lack of knowledge is attributed to the lack of training and education in food safety and
quality. It is undoubted that training is important prior to certification but several factors
hinder the execution of training in food safety and quality. Firstly, the high costs of training
is a barrier in sending employees for food safety courses. As described by Semos and
Kontogeorgos (2007, p. 16), “the most important cost and difficulty encountered during the
implementation and operation of the HACCP system was associated with the…training of
the companies’ staff”. Managers are reluctant to send the employees for training as it
means spending more money, especially when it involves retraining (Milios et al., 2013).
Secondly, executing food certification is time consuming (Eves and Dervisi, 2005; Taylor and
Kane, 2005) and the time spent on training and retaining new or existing employees prolong
the time spent away from daily tasks and operations. Wilcock et al. (2011, p. 31) explicitly
pointed out that “time was a challenge common to all food safety managers/coordinators”
and this indicates that due to work commitments, managers are cutting short the training
time. Hence, it can be summarised that the lack of training is because of the high costs of
training, time constraints, and commitment issues.
The low motivation among the employees is another factor that impedes the execution of
food safety and quality certification. Much of the current literature on certification barriers
pays particular attention to employees’ motivation (Semos and Kontogeorgos, 2007;
Tunalioglu et al., 2012; Teixeira and Sampaio, 2013; Tomašević et al., 2013; Escanciano and
Santos-Vijande, 2014b; Maldonado-Siman et al., 2014). Employees are not interested in
food safety certification because it involves tedious recordkeeping and exhaustive
processes, thus causing them to become demotivated (Baş et al., 2007). The demotivation
among the employees towards food safety certification causes them to become resistant in
practicing food safety.
The resistance to change and adapting to new processes distort the execution in food safety
certification. Herath and Henson (2010) stated that the employees are resisting departing
from traditional methods because they are too accustomed to existing systems.
Furthermore, Howells et al. (2008) reported that the struggle to comply with food safety
practices is further worsened by the management’s lack of commitment and monitoring.
Past studies reported that managerial staff also encounter difficulties in managing change
and implementing food safety certification (Eves and Dervisi, 2005; Karipidis et al., 2009;
Escanciano and Santos-Vijande, 2014b). The cost of hiring experts and consultants (Eves and
Dervisi, 2005; Escanciano and Santos-Vijande, 2014a), red tapes (Tähkäpää et al., 2009;
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Escanciano and Santos-Vijande, 2014b), and the requirement of a wide-scale facility
upgrading (Herath and Henson, 2010) are among the factors that cause managerial
commitment issues. Hence, the review of past literature indicates that the issues of
resistance to changes in food safety are attributed to both the employee and managerial
commitment issues.
Apart from the resistance to internal changes and commitment issues, the financial aspect
of food safety can also hinder firms from implementing food certification. Several studies
have thus far linked financial constraints with food safety certification (Yapp and Fairman,
2006; Herath and Henson, 2006, 2010; Khatri and Collins, 2007; Tähkäpää et al., 2009;
Macheka et al., 2013; Escanciano and Santos-Vijande, 2014a). According to Herath and
Henson (2010), internal budgetary constraints and difficulties in obtaining external funding
impede firms in Canada towards HACCP implementation. This is supported by Tunalioglu et
al. (2012) that highlighted the insufficient financial support from the Turkish government
hampers the success of food safety certification. Past studies have shown that in order for
food companies to effectively execute food safety certification, they require ample supply of
internal and external financial resources. Financial strength is important because the cost of
obtaining certification is capital intensive.
The cost of securing a legitimate food safety and quality certification can cause firms to flex
their financial muscles. A number of studies reported that the high costs of development,
implementation, and maintenance are impeding firms from pursuing food safety
certification (Eves and Dervisi, 2005; Baş et al., 2007; Karipidis et al., 2009; Massoud et al.,
2010; Mensah and Julien, 2011; Karaman et al., 2012; Tomašević et al., 2013; Chen et al.,
2014). For example, as mentioned by Baş et al. (2007), the high costs of operation and the
additional cost of labour hinders food companies from food safety certification. Several
costs incurred during initial setup include acquiring new equipment, appointing consultants
and hiring experts, training manpower, and making physical changes in buildings and
production layout (Tomašević et al. 2013). Teixeira and Sampaio (2013) further added there
is a relation between the high costs of implementation and the size of firm operation. This
indicates that small food companies may encounter more financial difficulties in
implementing certification. The points mentioned earlier further strengthen the claim that
financial constraint is one of the major limitation in implementing food safety certification,
and therefore, firms should properly strategize or get assistance from the regulatory bodies.
Although seeking help from responsible or correct regulatory bodies could help solve the
issue, the assistance is still insufficient, and the authorities are often unreliable. The lack of
government support is reflected in several past literature that signify it as a barrier that
limits firms from implementing food certification (Fotopoulos et al., 2011; Mensah and
Julien, 2011; Karaman et al., 2012; Tunalioglu et al., 2012; Tomašević et al., 2013; Chen et
al., 2014; Pswarayi et al., 2014). According to Karaman et al. (2012), despite the lack of
support, food companies in Turkey are hoping that the government will provide more
financial support, offer attractive taxes, organise training, and provide expert consultation
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on food safety certification. However, such assistance cannot materialise if the certification
authorities themselves are unreliable and lack professionalism. Ethical issues such as bribery
or corruption further complicate the implementation process and ultimately discourage
food companies from pursuing food certification (Karipidis et al., 2009; Pswarayi et al.,
2014). Thus, impeding regulatory issues such as the lack of support and unethical conducts
are limiting the execution of food safety certification. Immediate corrective measures must
take place in order to safeguard the safety and quality of food products in the market.
Evidence of the limitations discussed in this section suggests that there are numerous
factors that could hinder food companies’ pursuit towards certification. Collectively, the
review of the motivation and limitation factors in implementing food safety and quality
certification suggest that more needs to be done in stimulating the motivation factors and
overcoming the limiting factors. Furthermore, looking from the Halal standpoint, it seems
that there are a great number of factors that can influence Halal food certification.
Consequently, the loaded information creates difficulties among managers in determining
which pieces of information are crucial in Halal food certification. Therefore, in the next
section, through the use of Pareto analysis, we will uncover the critical information by
prioritising the motivation and limitation factors in implementing Halal food certification.
4. Pareto Analysis
At the end of the nineteenth century, an Italian economist named Vilfredo Pareto observed
that 80 percent of Italy’s wealth derived from 20 percent of the total population (Sanders,
1992; Knights, 2001; Craft and Leake, 2002). Vilfredo Pareto’s observation is the basis of
what is known today as the Pareto Principle. The Pareto Principle was then popularised as
the Pareto Analysis by Dr. Joseph M. Juran when he recognised the principles of the ‘vital
few’ and ‘trivial many’ (Juran, 2005) where “80 percent of the overall impact of errors in any
industrial scenario is due to a small number of error types, termed the ‘vital few’ and 20
percent of the impact due to other error types, called the ‘trivial many’” (Sarkar et al., 2013,
p. 641).
The Pareto analysis is a simple methodology commonly used in decision making (Cervone,
2009) and one that is “often used by managers to direct efforts to the biggest improvement
opportunity by highlighting the vital few causes in contrast to the useful many” (Garg and
Garg, 2013, p. 506). Despite its popularity and usefulness, several authors have highlighted
its shortcomings (Sanders, 1992; Knights, 2001; Bamford and Greatbanks, 2005) For
instance, Knights (2001) stated that misinterpretation of terms and the inability to compare
trends are weaknesses of the Pareto analysis. Bamford and Greatbanks (2005) on the other
hand noted that the Pareto analysis does not indicate relationships among the studied
variables, while Sanders (1992) concluded that the factors identified through Pareto analysis
are temporary as the environment keeps changing.
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Nevertheless, the Pareto analysis has been deeply embedded in management sciences and
literature. Various areas in management have applied the Pareto analysis as a means to
identify major factors that can be individually dissected into minor and more manageable
factors (Cervone, 2009). For example, Pareto analysis has been used for research in the field
of project management (Cervone, 2009) organisational decision making (Craft and Leake,
2002), enterprise resource planning (Garg and Garg, 2013), supply chain management (Karim
et al., 2006), and total quality management (Karuppusami and Gandhinathan, 2006).
Besides, Pareto analysis is applicable in various fields such as in sociology, politics,
economics, and even in physics and biology sciences (Sanders, 1992; Juran, 2005). This
signifies that the Pareto analysis is relevant in many academic domains, including in the field
of food safety and quality.
Various types of analysis have been used to verify the motivation and limitation factors in
implementing food safety certification, such as exploratory or confirmatory factor analysis
(Psomas and Fotopoulos, 2010), regression analysis (Vladimirov, 2011), and descriptive
analysis (Macheka et al., 2013). However, Pareto analysis is rarely used and the study by
Fotopoulos et al. (2011) is the only attempt to do so. In the detailed analysis of critical
factors for effective food safety certification, Fotopoulos et al. (2011) stressed that the
Pareto analysis approach is an effective tool to assist managers in managing food safety
issues. With that in mind, until now, no study has attempted to use Pareto analysis as a
method to identify the motivations and barriers in Halal food certification. The absence of
such study encourages the use of Pareto analysis to inspire more understanding on Halal
food certification, as well as provide greater insights to researchers, food companies, and
other stakeholders.
4.1. Pareto Analysis Methodology
To address the second objective of analysing and prioritising the motivations and limitations
in implementing Halal food certification, we replicate the steps performed by Fotopoulos et
al. (2011). Firstly, we identify the motivation and limitation factors by reviewing relevant
food certification literature. The first step was performed in the literature review section.
Secondly, we group the motivation and limitation factors by using the semantic/linguistic
technique. This is done in order to categorise various terms into individual groups that
signify similar meanings. To illustrate, motivation terms such as “meeting customer
requirements”, “meeting customer needs and expectations”, or “pressure from the
consumer” are categorised as ‘Customer Demand and Pressure’. Likewise, terms such as
“cost of implementation”, “high cost of certifications”, or “substantial cost of development”
signify limitations and are therefore labelled as ‘Cost of Implementation’. The compilation of
all motivation and limitation factors are showcased in Tables 2 and 3.
–– Refer to Dataset for Table 2 and 3 ––
14
Thirdly, in order to ascertain the number of occurrences, the compiled motivation and
limitation factors in Tables 2 and 3 were cross-checked with Table 1. Once the occurrences
were identified, the next step was to sort the motivation and limitation factors in
descending order based on the percentage of occurrence (see Table 4 and Table 5). To
achieve the third objective, based on the cumulative percentage, the major (80 percent;
vital few) and minor (20 percent; trivial many) motivation and limitation factors were
identified.
–– Refer to Dataset for Table 4 and 5 ––
Lastly, the major motivation and limitation factors were further dissected by categorising
them into ‘major internal motivation/limitation’ and ‘major external motivation/limitation’
factors (see Figure 1). Internal factors indicate that the motivation or limitation originate
from within a firm, while the external factors indicate the influence of the outer elements,
such as governments and rival firms. Although the last step is not based on Fotopoulos et al.
(2011), we believed that their study could be improved by identifying the internal and
external factors. This channels managers’ focus and attention, and ultimately assist them in
making efficient and effective decisions by means of capitalising on the major motivational
factors or overcoming the major limiting factors.
–– Refer to Dataset for Figure 1 ––
4.2. Categorising Motivation and Limitation Factors
Table 2 shows the motivation factors to implement certification. As can be seen in Table 2,
there are 36 motivation factors that can positively influence food companies in
implementing food certification. Motivational factors in italic represent the domain factors
while the factors in parentheses indicate the similarities with the domain. After an
exhaustive process of categorising the motivation factors, the most frequently mentioned
factors in food safety certification is ‘Customer Demand and Pressure’ with 33 occurrences.
Thus, we assert that the demand and pressure from the customers are motivating food
companies towards the implementation of Halal food certification. Other apparent
motivation factors in executing food safety certification include ‘Production Safety and
Quality’ and ‘Government Regulations and Policies’. These factors reflect that the
motivation to ensure product safety and quality, and the act of complying with government
regulation and policies drive food companies in pursuing Halal food certification.
In Table 2, six factors are cited only once in the literature, namely ‘Complement other
Management System’, ‘Awareness and Exposure’, ‘Process and Data Quality Management’,
‘Cost of Implementation’, and ’Recognition of the Certification Standard’. Although they
occurre only once, these factors are still considered motivational factors on their own, but it
brings little attention in Halal food certification. Although the motivation of ‘Cost of
Implementation’ can be misinterpreted, this factor indicates that if the cost of implementing
certification is favourable, then firms are more likely to become Halal certified.
15
Moving on to Table 3, this table comprises the limiting factors in implementing food safety
certification. In Table 3, 37 factors could hinder a firm’s drive towards becoming certified.
Similarly, the domain limitation factors are in italics while the similar representations are in
the parentheses. Among the most notable limitation factors are the high costs of
implementation (18 occurrence), the lack of skills and knowledge in food safety (17
occurrence), the time factor (15 occurrence), and the lack of recognition and awareness of
food safety certification (15 occurrence). The results of the review shown in Table 3 further
signifies that the financial, knowledge, time, and awareness factors are barriers towards
successful implementation of Halal food certification. Unlike the motivational factors in
Table 2, there are only two factors with one occurrence in Table 3, namely the engagement
with other tasks and the blame culture.
4.3. Prioritising the Occurrence Frequency
Having grouped the motivation and limitation factors, we will now move on to prioritise the
factors. The factors are ranked in descending order, from the most to the least frequently
mentioned. The occurrence of each factor is shown in Tables 2 and 3. Once all the factor
occurrences are sorted in descending order, the motivation and limitation occurrences are
totalled, and the sum of occurrences for motivation factors is 296 while the limitation
factors is 285 (see Table 4 and Table 5).
Subsequently, in order to ascertain the frequency of occurrence (F), every individual
motivation (MV𝑥) and limitation factors (LM𝑥) occurrences are divided by the summed
value of occurrence (∑MV or ∑LM). The values are then multiplied by 100. To illustrate:
Motivation Occurrence Frequency: Ϝ = 𝑀𝑉𝑥∑MV
⁄ × 100
Limitation Occurrence Frequency: Ϝ = 𝐿𝑀𝑥 ∑LM
⁄ × 100
The occurrence frequency for all motivation and limitation factors are shown in Tables 4 and
5 respectively. Finally, before performing the Pareto analysis, the cumulative frequency
must be predetermined, as tabulated in Tables 4 and 5.
4.4. Identifying the Major Motivation and Limitation Factors
To identify the major motivation and limitation factors in implementing Halal food
certification, we use the theory of Pareto analysis where the vital few (major factors)
accounted for 80 percent of the occurrence frequency while the useful many (minor factors)
accounted for the remaining 20 percent. In Table 4, the major motivation factors in
implementing Halal certification accounted for 80.07 percent, while the minor factors are
the remaining 19.93 percent. Therefore, we argue that there are a possible of 15 major
factors that can motivate firms to implement Halal food certification. Evidently, the findings
are consistent with other research in Halal certification. For instance, the demand and
16
pressure from the customers are motivating food companies to implement Halal
certification (Fischer, 2012; Marzuki et al., 2012b).
In terms of the major limiting factors in executing Halal food certification, the results from
Table 5 point out that 20 major factors are responsible for 79.65 while 20.35 percent
explains the minor factors. This suggests that impeding factors such as high cost of
implementation, financial constraints, and the lack of government support are hindering
food companies from implementing Halal food certification. This interpretation is similar
with that of Fischer (2015) who claimed that a government’s limited financial assistance
obstruct the promotion and Halal market, which entirely distorts the implementation of
Halal certification.
Lastly, the results of the Pareto analysis are comparable and consistent with findings from
other food safety and quality certification, thus suggesting that the Pareto analysis
technique can be applied in determining the motivation and limitation factors in
implementing Halal food certification.
4.5. Major Internal/External Motivation and Limitation Factors
As mentioned earlier, it is important to study the motivation and limitation factors because
it offers a greater understanding of Halal food certification. In an attempt to add more value
to the present study, we further divide the major motivation and limitation factors into
internal and external factors. The internal and external factors are clustered into four
quadrants, as depicted in Figure 1. The four quadrants are ‘major motivation-internal
factors’, ‘major motivation-external factors’, ‘major limitation-internal factors’, and ‘major
limitation-external factors’.
The ‘major motivation-internal factors’ and the ‘major motivation-external factors’ contains
nine factors (MV2; MV4; MV5; MV6; MV8; MV9; MV10; MV12; MV15) and six factors (MV1; MV3;
MV7; MV11; MV13; MV14) respectively. In addition, the ‘major limitation-internal factors’ is
comprised of fourteen factors (LM1; LM2; LM3; LM5; LM6; LM8; LM9; LM10; LM11; LM12; LM13;
LM15; LM17; LM20) while the ‘major limitation-external factors’ is consisted of six factors
(LM4; LM7; LM14; LM16; LM18; LM19). The factors are sorted in each quadrant according to the
individual occurrence frequency. This seeks to assist managers in decision-making, in terms
of which areas (internal/external) need to be addressed and what tasks should be
prioritised.
17
5. Discussion
This part of the paper discusses the findings that emerged from the Pareto analysis
presented in the previous section. A review of the past studies has proposed various
motivation and limitation factors in implementing Halal food certification. From the
systematic review and synthesis of relevant literature on food safety and quality
certification, this study yields 36 motivation and 37 limitation factors in implementing Halal
food certification. This large number of factors offers immense information for managers to
operationalise. A more manageable amount of information, specifically those that are
critical, is required to assist managers in decision-making. Therefore, the motivation and
limitation factors were further analysed using the Pareto methodology. This approach is
able to refine the factors into 15 major motivation factors and 20 major limitation factors.
Lastly, the motivation and limitation factors were further categorised into internal and
external factors. We argue that the findings from the present study offer a more
comprehensive understanding of the motivation and limitation factors in implementing
Halal food certification.
As pointed out earlier, the common major motivation factors are from the internal part of
the organisation. The most prevalent factor is the drive to improve internal processes and
production output (MV2; MV4; MV5). This approach is similar with the work done by
Escanciano and Santos-Vijande (2014a), who pointed out that the commitment to offer
safer and higher quality products and to improve internal efficiency motivate firms in Spain
to implement food certification. Fernando et al. (2014) also revealed that the drive towards
product quality improvement and minimising the risk of food contamination are among the
top motivators among Malaysian food companies in implementing food certification. These
results reveal that firms are motivated to implement Halal food certification in order to
ensure standardised internal operation that can be beneficial in reducing costs and
ultimately offer safe and quality Halal food products to the consumers. Hence, based on our
findings and supports from past studies, it can be outlined that the motivation to implement
Halal food certification start from within an organisation.
The motivation to improve employee performance is another driving internal factor in the
pursuit for Halal food certification. Continuous improvement in staffs’ performance was
identified as one of the most significant motivation in executing quality certification among
food manufacturing firms in Greece (Psomas et al., 2012). Moreover, the employee
dedication, knowledge, availability, and effective trainings are among the driving factors
that can influence the implementation of food safety certification (Fotopoulos et al., 2009).
Perhaps, in the case of Halal food certification, apart from the motivation of product safety
and quality, the human element is equally important to prompt Halal certification exercise.
We assert that the workforce play a pivotal role in stimulating Halal certificate
implementation. Thus, managers must ensure that the employees are motivated and
understand the importance of Halal certification.
18
Besides the internal employee factors, the findings pointed out that managerial
commitment is also a major motivation factor in implementing Halal food certification. We
emphasise that commitment from the management is fundamental in encouraging
employees to carry out Halal principles, and eventually implement Halal certification.
Similarly, Milios et al. (2013) stressed that managerial commitment and decision have
severe implication on the overall success or failure of food safety certification. Moving
forward, as past studies pointed out the significant role of managers, and to successfully
implement Halal food certification, we urge managers to possess proper sets of managerial
skills, particularly the ‘human skill’. Possessing this skill can influence demotivated
employees, instil Halal principles, and eradicate the non-resistance attitude among
employees.
The present study asserts that for food companies to implement Halal operations, the
managerial commitment and employee dedication must be parallel because these two
factors are vital in designing, executing, and maintaining Halal food certification. Once the
major motivation factors of improving internal processes and production output (MV2; MV4;
MV5), and the elements of employees and management commitment (MV6; MV10) are
aligned, only then can other motivational factors such as marketing motivation (MV8; MV9)
and competitiveness (MV12; MV15) take place. In view of all that has been mentioned thus
far, one may suppose that the internal motivation is foremost important, and that the
human elements of both managers and employees set the pillar of Halal food certificate
implementation.
Focusing on the major external motivation, the coercive and mimetic pressure motivates
firms to implement Halal food certification. In terms of coercive pressure, we argue that
firms are either directly or indirectly compelled to implement Halal food certification. The
pressure from the customer (MV1) and the regulatory and policy requirements from the
government (MV3) coercively motivate firms in executing Halal food certification. Evidently,
Fikru (2012) and Escanciano and Santos-Vijande (2014a) proved that our claim is justifiable
because firms that encounter pressure from government regulations or consumer pressure
groups are more prone to implement certification. However, although Halal food
certification is not mandatory, food enterprises are still drawn to implement certification in
an effort to adapt to the local business practices (Othman et al., 2009). This suggests that
normative pressure is a prevalent force in motivating food companies in implementing Halal
food certification. Although the findings did not highlight the normative pressure, we assert
that the outcome of such pressure could positively implicate the expansion of market
presence (MV7; MV13) and market share (MV11).
Moreover, with regards to mimetic pressure, due to the intense competition within the food
market, rival firms tend to replicate the popular and successful strategies, for instance the
implementation of Halal food certification. Logically, this is the wise approach because
business survival is a crucial as in the highly competitive Halal food market. Besides, because
of the limited knowledge in the Halal food industry, the rationale means of sustainable
19
business is to imitate the moves of other firms in the market. Our findings point to similar
outcomes where firms are motivated to implement Halal food certification as a means to
compete with rival firms (MV14). This outcome is consistent with the findings of past
research by Fotopoulos et al. (2010), which indicated that the benefits enjoyed by other
certified competitors motivate food companies to implement certification. This is further
strengthened by the claim made by Arpanutud et al. (2009) that the more number of food
manufacturing firms implement food certification, the more likely a firm will follow suit.
Together, this points out the significant role of inter-firm competition as one of the factor
behind the motivation to implement Halal food certification.
Directing the attention to the limitation factors, as shown in Figure 1, the major internal
limiting factors (14 factors) are dominant over the major external limiting factors (6 factors).
Focusing on the major limitation factors, three common themes can be identified: internal
financial issue (LM1; LM9; LM11), employee related barriers (LM2; LM5; LM10; LM12; LM13),
and operationalising problems (LM3; LM6; LM8; LM15; LM17). Similar to other forms of food
safety certification, the implementation of Halal food certification requires substantial
financial commitment. Furthermore, due to the lack of financial resources, especially for
small-sized food companies, the financial issue remains a persistent barrier in implementing
Halal food certification (Abdul et al., 2008; Talib et al., 2010; Verbeke et al., 2013;
Mukherjee, 2014). One may argue that the initial certification fee is inexpensive. However,
the cost is in fact only for a singular product with a validity of a few years. We believe that in
true practice, the cost of Halal certification is substantial as firms will have more than one
product line and the recurring or yearly certification renewal fees inflate the overall costs.
Although the high cost of implementation can be recuperated from the consumer
purchases, we argue that such an act will increase the final price of Halal foods and might
cause a burden on the final consumers. This is consistent with Tieman et al. (2013) who
stressed that the Halal practices must not create hardship on the end users. Thus, we
recommend to the responsible regulatory bodies to revise the Halal certification processing
fees and reassess the accreditation standard operating procedures, as the current
accreditation period is time consuming and capital intensive. Therefore, with consistent and
sufficient financial and technical aid to food companies, it will hopefully encourage more
commitment to Halal food certification among food companies.
As for the employee related barriers, the most frequently mentioned limitation is the lack of
skill and knowledge in Halal food certification (LM2). This could be the result of lack of
training (LM2) and such deficiency is attributed by the lack of managerial commitment
(LM10) or negative employee attitude (LM20) towards Halal certification. Karipidis et al.
(2009) and Strohbehn et al. (2014) also revealed that the commitment issues among the
managers and employees, coupled with the poor attitude among the employees impede the
food safety and quality practices and certification adoption. Consequently, the lack of
managerial support causes employees to become demotivated (LM13) and resist Halal
certification practices and principles (LM5) (Baş et al., 2007; Karaman et al., 2012; Teixeira
20
and Sampaio; 2013; Escanciano and Santos-Vijande, 2014b). Considering the findings of this
present and past studies, this could further ascertain the crucial role of human capital. This
should draw the managers’ attention that human resource can be both the impetus and
barrier to Halal food certification. Thus, balance must be achieved in order to successfully
implement Halal food certification.
Moving on to the major external limiting factors, the lack of market awareness, poor
recognition (LM4), and the negative perception (LM19) of Halal certification distort the
implementation of Halal food certification. This is in line with Razzaque and Chaudry (2013,
p. 202) that stated, “certifying a product as compliant to Islamic prescriptions is often
viewed as a risky and difficult proposition by many manufacturers and marketers because
there [is] no globally accepted central certification authority”. This particular finding
signifies that despite Halal certification is important in Muslim-majority countries, it is
relatively less significant in non-Muslim-majority countries. However, our findings contradict
with Lever and Miele (2012) who noted that there is a rising Muslim population in non-
Muslim European countries, and because of the questionable status of food in the market,
the Muslim consumers are now more aware of Halal certification and greatly rely on it in
order to safeguard from accidentally consuming the non-Halal.
The findings from our analysis also highlighted lack of government support (LM7) as a major
limitation factor. This is consistent with the findings of past studies by Talib et al. (2010),
which highlighted the institutional rigidness and the cumbersome requirement hinder food
manufacturer from becoming Halal-certified. Similarly, Yapp and Fairman (2006) also found
that despite the government support, it is still insufficient and the assistance is heavily
emphasised on larger firms, thus causing implementation issues among smaller firms. To
overcome this issue, government support can be amplified by giving attractive tax
exemption to small companies or introduce other types of assistance in the form of grants
or special permits.
Furthermore, the complicated certification manuals and accreditation processes (LM14) are
identified as major limiting factors in Halal food certification. The barrier could originate
from the certification regulatory bodies' inefficient execution. Baş et al. (2007) found that
the complicated terminology and confusing guidelines are hindering the implementation of
certification. In addition, Escanciano and Santos-Vijande (2014b) revealed that the
unfamiliar and the lack of awareness among companies, due to the lack of enforcement,
have caused difficulties in interpreting the guidelines. This findings could draw the attention
of certification authorities that certification standards must be divers
The situation worsens when certification is non-mandatory and firms do not have the
external driving force that encourages certification (LM16). However, we argue that this
particular factor may become a barrier if the management and employees are not
committed to Halal food certification. Nevertheless, studies have revealed that although
certification is not mandatory, food companies in Malaysia and New Zealand are dedicated
21
to implement certification (Othman et al., 2009; Chen et al., 2014). Such dedication is
understandable because firms want to satisfy the customer demand, improve safety and
quality of production outputs, and to remain competitive.
6. Conclusions and Recommendations
The present study was undertaken to determine the motivation and limitation factors in
implementing Halal food certification. A systematic literature survey was applied in order to
identify the common factors, while Pareto analysis was performed to synthesise and
prioritise the major motivation and limitation factors in implementing Halal food
certification. This study has shown that there are 15 major motivation factors and 20 major
limitation factors that could influence the implementation of Halal food certification. The
study further categorised the major motivation and limitation factors into internal and
external factors. The major internal motivations contain nine factors and the major external
factors have six factors. The internal limitation is comprised of 14 major factors while the
external limitation is consisted of six major factors. With regards to Halal food certification,
this study concludes that the major internal factors are more significant than the major
external factors.
In general, the findings enhance the understanding of food safety and quality certification.
Specifically, the outcome of this study adds to a growing body of literature on Halal food
and Halal certification. Moreover, this study proves that the Pareto analysis is a reliable
technique in identifying critical pieces of information and that it is also applicable in various
fields, including Halal food certification.
Even though the literature review focuses on other types of food safety and quality
certification, the findings may well have a bearing on the implementation of Halal food
certification. In the attempt to inspire more implementation of Halal food certification, the
study on the motivation and limitation factors is important because it provides more
insights to researchers, food enterprises, and other stakeholders. For researchers and
academicians, this study could be beneficial to them as it assembles the most recent
literature in food safety and quality certification, and provides a comprehensive review of
research in Halal food certification. Furthermore, the factors outlined from this study could
assist researchers and academicians in developing research instruments. For the
industrialists, the study should prove to be particularly valuable in directing their focus,
efforts, time, and resources on the critical pieces of information that matter most. It could
provide them with significant information that can be the basis for effective and efficient
decision-making.
Several limitations to this study need to be acknowledged. Firstly, the exploratory and
qualitative nature of this study is its weakness. Although the study provides an analysis of
the motivation and limitation factors, it does not signify the relative values of the individual
22
factors. Thus, we urge future research to quantify and empirically scrutinise the validity and
reliability of the motivation and limitation factors. Secondly, the motivation and limitation
factors drawn from this study are not applicable to every food company as the factors may
vary depending on the nature of business, geographical areas, target markets, size of
operation, and the availability of resources. Hence, future research is strongly advised to
test the proposed factors in actual Halal industry and context. Thirdly, this study gives a
general overview of the possible factors influencing the execution of Halal food certification,
whereas there are numerous Halal food certifications in the market. Therefore, we
recommend that future study should focus on a singular Halal food certification, for instance
the widely recognised Malaysia’s Department of Islamic Development (JAKIM) Halal food
certification, the MS 1500:2009. Finally, aside from studying the motivation and limitation
factors, researchers should also direct their attention on the impact of implementing Halal
food certification on overall business performance.
23
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26
Selected Journal Articles Reviewed In the Paper
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27
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28
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Note: This is a post-print version. Any mistakes are the Authors’.
