The keys of decision-making criteria for performance enhancement in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) using hybrid decision-making model
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24200/jonus.vol11iss2pp110-130Abstract
Background and Purpose: This study investigates the application of the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) to enhance employee selection strategies in Malaysian Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) by prioritizing key behavioural and institutional criteria. The principal objective is to identify the most influential factor among Innovative Work Behavior (IWB), Gamification (G), and Cultural Diversity (CD) in shaping effective recruitment decisions.
Methodology: A structured, quantitative design utilizing the AHP methodology was deployed to evaluate weight-based rankings derived from expert input. Physical survey questionnaires were administered to and collected from 35 senior academic professionals comprising senior lecturers, associate professors, and professors across seven public universities in the northern region of Malaysia (Perlis, Kedah, Pulau Pinang, and Perak). These respondents were selected due to their extensive institutional experience and deep expertise, ensuring highly reliable insights. Pairwise comparison matrices were processed using Excel software to calculate relative factor weights. To ensure mathematical rigor, the evaluation process was strictly monitored to keep the Consistency Ratio (CR) within Saaty’s acceptable threshold of 0.10, successfully isolating the key selection criteria for institutional performance enhancement.
Findings: The empirical analysis reveals that Innovative Work Behavior (IWB) holds the highest priority with a dominant weight of 0.60364, underscoring the critical importance of innovation and adaptability in modern academic staffing. Gamification (G) and Cultural Diversity (CD) were ranked second and third, respectively. The model’s internal consistency and mathematical validity were confirmed by a Consistency Ratio (CR) of 0.00638, which falls safely below the 0.10 threshold, verifying complete logical coherence.
Contributions: This study concludes that integrating the AHP into Human Resource (HR) practices provides a robust, objective framework for aligning talent acquisition with institutional goals. It offers key practical insights for higher education decision-makers, highlighting a critical directive to embed innovation-centric competencies into recruitment and strategic staffing policies.
Keywords: Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), Innovative Work Behavior (IWB), Gamification (G), Cultural Diversity (CD), Higher Education Institutions (HEIs).
Cite as: Norshahrizan, N., Nur Anis Zulaikha, S. A., Suraiya, I., Ezekiel, A., Anas Firdaus Shaheen, A., Muhamad Azuan M. N., & Mohammad Rezaul, K., (2026). The keys of decision-making criteria for performance enhancement in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) using hybrid decision-making model. Journal of Nusantara Studies, 11(2), 110-130. http://dx.doi.org/10.24200/jonus.vol11iss2pp110-130
References
Abdul Latip, S. N. N., Habib, M. M., & Abdul Latip, M. S. (2024). Lecturers’ acceptance of gamification in training and development: A conceptual study. Business Management Horizons, 12(1), 1-14. https://doi.org/10.5296/bmh.v12i1.21699
Aliyu, L. U. (2021). The impact of recruitment and selection process in an organization. International Journal of Innovative Engineering Research and Technology, 8(9), 175-185. https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/J8VPS
Al-Saba, R. A.-Q. M. (2023). Evaluation of the implementation of merit criteria in the selection of senior bureaucratic officials in Egypt. Journal of Humanities and Applied Social Sciences, 5(5), 417–434. https://doi.org/10.1108/jhass-07-2021-0123
Baer, M., & Frese, M. (2003). Innovation is not enough: Climates for initiative and psychological safety, process innovations, and firm performance. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 24(1), 45-68. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.179
Brown, S. L., & Eisenhardt, K. M. (1995). Product development: Past research, present findings, and future directions. Academy of Management Review, 20(2), 343-378.
Burke, B. (2014). How gamification motivates people to do extraordinary things. Routledge.
Cheong, K. C., & Narayanan, S. (2020). Factors affecting the transition from university to work in selected Malaysian cities: Is a public university degree a disadvantage? Journal of Education and Work, 33(5-6), 391–404. https://doi.org/10.1080/13639080.2020.1812613
De Jong, J. P. J., & Den Hartog, D. N. (2007). How leaders influence employees’ innovative behavior. European Journal of Innovation Management, 10(1), 41-64. https://doi.org/10.1108/14601060710720546
Dutta, N., & Sobel, R. (2016). Does corruption ever help entrepreneurship? Small Business Economics, 47(1), 179-199. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11187-016-9728-7
Hagag, A. M., Yousef, L. S., & Abdelmaguid, T. F. (2023). Multi-criteria decision-making for machine selection in manufacturing and construction: Recent trends. Mathematics, 11(3), Article 0631. https://doi.org/10.3390/math11030631
Hananto, L. A., Priyatna, B., Fauzi, A., Rahman, Y. A., Pangestika, Y., & Tukino. (2021). Analysis of the best employee selection decision support system using Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 1908(1), Article 012023. https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/1908/1/012023
Hayward, B. (2017). The gamification of customer behaviours. Credit Control, 38(1/2), 36-40. https://doi.org/10.22616/REEP.2022.15.025
Ikhide, J. E., Timur, A. T., & Ogunmokun, O. A. (2023). A balanced perspective on the affordance of a gamified HRM system for employees' creative performance. Personnel Review, 52(3), 631–648. https://doi.org/10.1108/PR-01-2021-0062
Jamal, M. A., Abd Rahman, M. D., Utit, C., & Mokhyia, N. A. (2024). Working here or there? Assessing the impact of job location on skill mismatch among young entry-level workers. Malaysian Journal of Business and Economics, 11(1), 1–7. https://doi.org/10.51200/mjbe.v11i1.5100
Janssen, O. (2000). Job demands, perceptions of effort-reward fairness, and innovative work behavior. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 73(3), 287-302. http://dx.doi.org/10.1348/096317900167038
Kulkarni, P., Gokhale, P., Satish, Y. M., & Tigadi, B. (2022). An empirical study on the impact of learning theory on gamification-based training programs. Organizational Management Journal, 19(5), 170–188. https://doi.org/10.1108/OMJ-04-2021-1232
Ma'dan, M., Harruddin, W. N. W., & Mansor, M. (2020). Strategies to enhance graduate employability: Insight from Malaysian public university policy-makers. Malaysian Journal of Learning and Instruction, 17(2), 137–165. https://doi.org/10.32890/mjli2020.17.2.5
Martins, M. C., & Terblanche, F. (2003). Building organisational culture that stimulates creativity and innovation. European Journal of Innovation Management, 6(1), 64-74. https://doi.org/10.1108/14601060310456337
Moo, K. H., & Wan, C. D. (2023). Graduate employability in Malaysia: Unpacking the concept, policy and practices. IIUM Journal of Educational Studies, 11(2), 3–25. https://doi.org/10.31436/ijes.v11i2.471
Muzayanah, U., Haryanto, J. T., & Koeswinarno, K. (2023). The Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) for best employee selection: Reward implementation strategy in government agencies. Journal of Borneo Administration, 19(2), 205–220. https://doi.org/10.24258/jba.v19i2.1198
Nong, N. M. T., & Ha, D. S. (2021). Application of MCDM methods to qualified personnel selection in distribution science: Case of logistics companies. Journal of Distribution Science, 19(8), 25–35. https://doi.org/10.15722/jds.19.8.202108.25
Noraisah, S., Musneh, H., Nabila, S., Ambad, A., & Roslin, R. M. (2021). The effect of innovative work behaviour on the performance of service sector SMEs in Sabah. Journal of International Business, Economics and Entrepreneurship, 6(1), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.24191/jibe.v6i1.14204
Nugroho, A., Ajulian Zm, A., & Winardi, B. (2023). Integration of AHP method in best employee selection: A multi-criteria decision analysis approach for decision making. International Journal of Mechanical Computational and Manufacturing Research, 12(2), 40-45. https://doi.org/10.35335/computational.v12i2.119
Orsini, P., & Watanabe, R. M. (2023). Foreign coworker nationality, cultural distance, and perception of cultural diversity in the workplace. Journal of Asia Business Studies, 17(2), 256–278. https://doi.org/10.1108/JABS-10-2021-0413
Othman, A. A. E., & Fouda, N. I. (2022). A cultural diversity management framework for enhancing the performance of architectural design firms in Egypt. International Journal of Architectural Research Archnet, 16(2), 451–470. https://doi.org/10.1108/ARCH-08-2021-0231
Phillipa, A. O., Ishaq, M., & Kola, A. A. (2023). Effects of recruitment and selection process on performance in organisations. International Journal of Human Resource Management and Humanities, 1(1), 1–26. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/372992916
Pieterse, A. N., van Knippenberg, D., Schippers, M., & Stam, D. (2010). Transformational and transactional leadership and innovative behavior: The moderating role of psychological empowerment. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 31(4), 609-623. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.650
Ramamoorthy, N., Flood, P. C., Slattery, T., & Sardessai, R. (2005). Determinants of innovative work behaviour: development and test of an integrated model. Creativity and Innovation Management, 14(2), 142-150. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8691.2005.00334.x
Saaty, T. L. (1980). The analytic hierarchy process. McGraw-Hill.
Sabiu, M. S., Ringim, K. J., Mei, T. S., & Joarder, M. H. R. (2019). Relationship between human resource management practices, ethical climates and organizational performance, the missing link: An empirical analysis. PSU Research Review, 3(1), 50–69. https://doi.org/10.1108/PRR-12-2016-0022
Saether, E. A. (2019). Motivational antecedents to high-tech R&D employees' innovative work behavior: Self-determined motivation, person-organization fit, organization support of creativity, and pay justice. The Journal of High Technology Management Research, 30(2), Article 100350. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hitech.2019.100350
Shanker, R., Bhanugopan, R., van der Heijden, B. I. J. M., & Farrell, M. (2017). Organizational climate for innovation and organizational performance: The mediating effect of innovative work behavior. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 100(1), 67-77. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2017.02.004
Singh, L. P., & Singh, S. (2019). Strategic enhancement of workplace safety in small scale manufacturing industries using AHP Approach: Identification of safety parameters using AHP. International Journal of the Analytic Hierarchy Process, 11(2), 269–282. https://doi.org/10.13033/ijahp.v11i2.621
Taamneh, A. M., Taamneh, M., Alsaad, A., & Al-Okaily, M. (2022). Talent management and academic context: A comparative study of public and private universities. EuroMed Journal of Business, 17(4), 731–751. https://doi.org/10.1108/EMJB-08-2020-0088
Teoh, W. M. Y., Yen, Y. Y., & Yen, D. Y. (2023). Perspectives of employers on graduate employability skills: A case of Malaysia. Asian Development Policy Review, 11(4), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.55493/5008.v11i4.4946
Venketsamy, A., & Lew, C. (2024). Intrinsic and extrinsic reward synergies for innovative work behavior among South African knowledge workers. Personnel Review, 53(1), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1108/PR-02-2021-0108
Wanick, V., & Bui, H. (2019). Gamification in management: Analysis and research directions. International Journal of Serious Games, 6(2), 57-74. https://doi.org/10.17083/ijsg.v6i2.282
Xerri, M. (2013). Workplace relationships and the innovative behaviour of nursing employees: A social exchange perspective. Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources, 51(1), 3163-3177. https://doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2013.775033
Yuan, F., & Woodman, R. W. (2010). Innovative behavior in the workplace: The role of performance and image outcome expectations. Academy of Management Journal, 53(2), 323-342. https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2010.49388995
Zichermann, G., & Linder, J. (2013). The gamification revolution: How leaders leverage game mechanics to crush the competition. McGraw Hill.



