Are Malay Small-Scale Agro-Entrepreneurs Ready to Face Future Challenges?An Analysis of Attitudes towards Work Values

A vital question receiving much attention in the revitalization of the agro-food sub sector inMalaysia concerns the readiness of Malay small-scale agro-entrepreneurs to compete in anincreasingly competitive agriculture market. This study reports on the readiness of Malay smallscalecommercial farmers in terms of attitude towards entrepreneurial work values. Sevenhundred and eighty five Malay small-scale farm producers participated in the survey. A variationof attitudes towards performance, continuous improvement, quality, and innovation/risk-takingvalues were observed. Most of them had a positive rather than a very favorable attitude towardsthe four entrepreneurial work values. Hence, many are still vulnerable to compete in an emergingliberalized market. The results showed that the attitudes towards entrepreneurial work valuessignificantly differed according to factor of participation in non-formal courses, participation inbusiness networks, age, and level of education. Implications of the findings are discussed.