Corporate Governance Practices Affecting Performance: A Case Study of Malaysian Elderly Care Centres NGOs

Abstract

It is alleged that nongovernmental organisation (NGOs) are undergoing a crisis of confidence as they have become more secretive in their actions, thus making it increasingly difficult for their stakeholders to hold them accountable. Therefore, effective corporate governance is essential for NGOs as it relates to public affairs and managing shared resources. One of the most effective strategies for improving NGO performance is effective corporate governance. This study has investigated the corporate governance practices that influence the performance of NGOs, mainly in the Malaysian elderly care sector. The qualitative research approach and semi-structured interview technique have been adopted, and this study covered ten elderly care centres run by NGOs in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor, Malaysia. This study found that the implementation and promotion of corporate governance in Malaysian NGOs, particularly in the elderly care centres, is still lacking, primarily the transparency of financial reporting. These deficiencies have been recognised as major obstacles that the NGOs must overcome to establish effective corporate governance in this study. The study may provide useful information to policymakers, enabling them to formulate strategies to strengthen their regulatory framework so that it is more in line with the systems of other NGOs from other countries. In the same vein, this study recommended that the board of NGOs adopt corporate governance best practices to improve performance, accountability, transparency and protect the interest of stakeholders.