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The role of
The role of government in government
promoting Halal logistics: a
systematic literature review
Mohamed Syazwan Ab Talib and Li Li Pang
UBD School of Business and Economics, Universiti Brunei Darussalam,
Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei, and Received 3 May 2020
Revised 20 May 2020
22 May 2020
Abdul Hafaz Ngah Accepted 8 June 2020
Faculty of Business, Economy and Social Development,
Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia

Abstract
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify the roles of government in promoting halal logistics.
Design/methodology/approach – This paper applied a systematic literature review (SLR) technique to
assess published halal logistics academic literature.
Findings – The review identified six roles, namely, regulation, financial incentives, taxation, infrastructure,
guidance and encouragement and education and labour supply.
Originality/value – This systematic review paper is considered amongst the first to attempt to consolidate
the dispersed halal logistics literature and to systematically accentuate the pivotal role of government in the
halal logistics industry.
Keywords Government, Halal, Systematic literature review, Halal logistics,
Halal supply chain management, Institutional factor
Paper type Literature review

1. Introduction
The global halal industry is one of the largest consumer markets in the world. Attributed by
the growing Muslim population (Lever and Miele, 2012), rising consumer awareness (Aziz
and Chok, 2013), positive acceptance amongst the non-Muslims (Wilkins et al., 2019), and
migration (Abdul-Talib and Abd-Razak, 2013), the demand for halal goods and services
continue to increase. The State of the Global Islamic Economy Report, a leading source for
the Islamic economy, estimates the worth of the halal industry a staggering of $2.2tn and
expects it to reach $3.2tn by the year 2024 (Dinar Standard, 2019). The massive and lucrative
market offers a promising opportunity for governments, investors and businesses to
venture.
Aside from the aforementioned growth factors, the strategic function and coordination of
logistics management is a key element behind the massive and expanding halal industry. In
particular, the emergence of halal logistics has able to facilitate distribution, cater to the
growing demand and form value creation simultaneously (Tieman, 2013; Karia and Asaari,

The authors would like to thank the Editor and Reviewers for the constructive feedback. The authors
also wish to thank Dr Izma Abdul Zani for the helpful suggestions on an earlier version of the paper. Journal of Islamic Marketing
A heartfelt appreciation to the authors’ spouses for their continuous support throughout the © Emerald Publishing Limited
1759-0833
pandemic quarantine period, which made the presentation of this paper possible. DOI 10.1108/JIMA-05-2020-0124
JIMA 2016; Zailani et al., 2018). Wilson (2014) argues that given the currently interdependent,
borderless and ever-growing global market, the manifestation of the logistics chain is
pivotal to the Islamic economy. Hence, it is clear that the demand for halal logistics is rising
and that it is a backbone of the halal industry and supply chains.
Halal logistics is a service innovation (Karia and Asaari, 2016). It is defined as the
processes involved in the movement and distribution of goods and services in accordance
with Sharīʿah principles along the supply chain (Tieman, 2013). According to Talib and
Hamid (2014), the demand for halal logistics is paralleled with the growing halal industry.
The view is understandable given that consumers demand halal logistics services (Tieman
and van Nistelrooy, 2014; Fathi et al., 2016) and businesses implement halal principles and
practises within their operation and supply chain (Ngah et al., 2015; Zailani et al., 2015).
From a scholarly standpoint, there is an increase of halal logistics research. In a
comprehensive analysis of extant halal literature, Haleem et al. (2020) demonstrate that the
logistics supply chain cluster is one of the emerging halal research themes. Evidently,
studies concerning halal logistics from consumer’s viewpoint cover numerous breadths such
as consumer perception (Tieman et al., 2013), awareness (Alqudsi, 2014), purchase intention
(Yusoff et al., 2015) and willingness to pay (Kamaruddin et al., 2012; Fathi et al., 2016).
Moreover, as logistics research shifts from consumer perspectives to firm perspectives
(Karia and Asaari, 2016), the number of halal logistics studies focussed on organisational
views have certainly increased. For instance, Ngah et al. (2015, 2019) examine the impetuses
of halal warehouse and transport implementation amongst food, cosmetics and
pharmaceutical companies in Malaysia. In another research, Zailani et al. (2017) identify the
halal logistics prospects and challenges amongst logistics service providers (LSP). Similarly,
Zailani et al. (2018) assess the logistics service quality amongst halal LSP while Selim et al.
(2019) examine halal product manufacturers’ satisfaction on the services offered by halal
LSP. These studies are an indication that halal logistics research and literature cover both
the upstream and downstream parts of the halal supply chain.
However, despite the growing number of studies, past scholars and literature paid little
attention to the governmental aspect of halal logistics. The extant halal logistics research
often overlooks the role of the government. The scanty focus on the government is
disappointing considering the vital role of the government in the logistics industry. Existing
research has recognised the critical role of the government in various logistics fields such as
in sustainable logistics (Chhabra et al., 2017; Li et al., 2020), humanitarian logistics (Kunz
and Reiner, 2012; Dube et al., 2016), city logistics (Witkowski and Kiba-Janiak, 2014; Kiba-
Janiak, 2016) and reverse logistics (Ye et al., 2013; Heydari et al., 2017).
Although attempts have been made to study halal logistics from a governmental lens, the
knowledge and findings remain limited. Thus, far, the works done by Zulfakar et al. (2018)
and Talib et al. (2016) are the only studies that observe the advocating role of the
government in halal logistics. Zulfakar’s et al. (2018) empirical study reveals that
the coercive nature of the Australian Government protects the halal meat supply chain in the
country. Meanwhile, Talib et al. (2016) conceptualise the positive role of government
between the halal certification and logistics performance relationship. In contrast, numerous
studies (Talib et al., 2015a; Ngah et al., 2015; Zailani et al., 2017; Khan et al., 2019) have
approached governmental factors with a pessimistic view and largely denounce
governmental factor as a barrier to halal logistics operation. The negative perception that
government is a hindrance to the development of halal logistics should be carefully
connoted. Despite the contrary views on government role in halal logistics, this paper
undertakes an advocate direction by implying that the government is a crucial and a
positive force in halal logistics, particularly in promoting the service.
 Amid the shortcoming, this paper attempts to accentuate the governmental factor by The role of
means of surveying the relevant existing halal logistics literature. Specifically, through a government
literature review, the paper intends to identify the probable role of government in promoting
halal logistics. Considering the lack of research on government function in halal logistics, a
review of the literature approach is necessary because it allows the mapping, consolidating
and evaluating the recent development and extent of a research field (Denyer and Tranfield,
2009; Seuring and Gold, 2012). Moreover, a literature review is a key stage in research
(Seuring and Gold, 2012) and is prevalent within the logistics field covering a range of topics
including halal logistics and supply chain management (Talib et al., 2015b; Khan et al.,
2018).
The literature review on the role of government in promoting halal logistics here
provides a deeper understanding of the significance of institutional role to advance and
develop a logistics sector. Hence, this paper could offer some valuable insights for various
stakeholders, namely, scholars, practitioners and relevant authorities. For scholars, this
paper could be an instigator to further dive into halal and logistics knowledge and
potentially be a platform for future research endeavours. Likewise, practitioners could
benefit from having informed decisions on how to navigate through the bureaucratic nature
of governmental bodies and potentially find ways to leverage the promotion initiatives set
up by the public sector. In addition, for relevant authorities, this paper could shed some light
on the possible policy measures to encourage halal logistics adoption, enlighten them on the
prospect of halal logistics and the massive halal industry or even fine-tune the present
policies. Regardless, this study would emphasise the government’s role in halal logistics and
further enrich the halal and logistics literature.
The structure of the paper takes the form of five parts, including this introductory
section. The second part gives an overview of the government’s role in logistics. Next, the
third part details the review methodology and is then followed by the review results and
discussion in the fourth part. Finally, part five concludes by summarising the findings,
addressing the limitations and suggesting several recommendations for future studies.

2. Government roles in the logistics industry

Primarily driven by the commitment to support the local economy and as a source of
employment, governments, regardless of a nation’s location, size or population, devote
substantial resources to develop their logistics industries (Rivera et al., 2014). Businesses, on
the other hand, rely on the government not only for the tangible means of financial support
and logistics infrastructure (Banomyong et al., 2015; Hafezalkotob et al., 2016; Jhawar et al.,
2017; Li et al., 2020) but also they rely upon the policy and regulatory measures from the
government (Rivera et al., 2014; Ekici et al., 2016; Li et al., 2020). The symbiotic nature
between government and logistics is evident and much of the existing literature studies the
role of government in the logistics industry.
The role of government in the logistics industry has been studied in various countries.
For example, in the USA, the government plays a vital role in the development of logistics
clusters in the country (Rivera et al., 2014). In China, the regulation and policies of the
Chinese Government on environmental protection influence companies to implement
sustainable logistics operations (Ye et al., 2013; Li et al., 2020). Meanwhile, the Indian
Government’s investments in the country’s logistics sector have led to multiple positive
impacts including improved infrastructure, better safety, enhanced skilled labour, cost
reduction and improvement in the overall logistics system (Jhawar et al., 2017). Similarly, in
the UK, research shows that the government acts as an enabler for logistics companies to
adopt new technology (Ramanathan et al., 2014). Even in less developed countries, the role of
JIMA a government is significant. For instance, even though the logistics sector in Vietnam is
underdeveloped, the government is adamant to improve the situation and identify the sector
as a national agenda for progress (Banomyong et al., 2015). Moreover, the Moroccan
Government’s support for sustainable environmental practises in the country’s logistics
industry can be seen through numerous efforts including fiscal incentives, fleet renewal and
relevant training (Baz and Laguir, 2017).
Aside from country-specific research, the role of government is apparent across various
logistics domains. In a meta-analysis of humanitarian logistics research, Kunz and Reiner
(2012) conclude that ‘government’ is amongst the most frequently studied factors and the
affirmation proves the importance of government in the relief logistics domain. Moreover, in
a recent review on reverse logistics, Govindan and Bouzon (2018) identify government-
related motives of regulatory pressures, legitimacy obligation and incentives are the
commonly researched implementation factors. Equally, research in the city logistics domain
reaches consistent arguments that the overall governance of policy, planning, regulation and
measures are imperative for the mobility, liveability and sustainability of cities around the
world (Witkowski and Kiba-Janiak, 2014; Kiba-Janiak, 2016; Neghabadi et al., 2019).
Additionally, in a two-decade state-of-the-art systematic review of green and sustainable
logistics by Ren et al. (2019), it can be deduced that as the attention on the green and
sustainable logistics domain continue to rise, government’s involvement through legislation,
policymaking and economic incentives is monumental.
Overall, the literature highlighted in this section underlines the role of government in the
logistics sector. Besides, extant logistics research demonstrates that the role of government
can be in the form of financial and non-financial support. Examples of governmental
financial support include direct monetary assistance, subsidy, capital investments, fiscal
incentives and tax reduction or exemption. Government support through policymaking and
implementation, regulation, provision of fixed assets and infrastructures and advisory role
are examples of non-monetary support.
Despite the apparent role of government in the logistics literature, their area limited the
number of extant halal logistics studies that investigate the governmental roles in
the domain. Hence, given the dearth of research, this calls for a comprehensive review of the
literature to allow a better understanding that may reaffirm what is known or reveal what is
unknown about the topic (Denyer and Tranfield, 2009). Therefore, the following section
details on the paper’s review methodology that scrutinises the existing halal logistics
literature and tries to determine the role of the government in promoting halal logistics.

3. Review methodology
This review-based paper applied a systematic literature review (SLR) technique to assess
published halal logistics academic literature. An SLR approach has been widely used in
numerous logistics research such as reverse logistics (Govindan and Bouzon, 2018),
sustainable logistics (Ren et al., 2019) and supply chain management (Seuring and Gold,
2012) and is able to substantiate important findings from current literature. Additionally,
the five steps SLR process (Denyer and Tranfield, 2009; Zimmermann et al., 2016) was
applied. This process allows for a more systematic, transparent, and replicable process of
identifying, selecting, analysing and synthesising relevant published research (Denyer and
Tranfield, 2009). The five steps SLR involves the process of formulating review questions,
searching for materials, evaluating and selecting, analysing and synthesising and reporting
review results. Figure 1 illustrates the SLR process.
 The role of
government

Figure 1.
Systematic literature
review process

3.1 Formulating review questions

Firstly, formulating review questions specific to the current scope of the study is necessary, as it
establishes a focus and gives a clearer review direction. The formulation of the research question
is based on the earlier mentioned research objective. The research question is as follows:
RQ1. What are the roles of government in promoting halal logistics?

3.2 Searching for materials

Secondly, the process of searching for materials involves identifying the relevant studies
that align with the research question. To search for the relevant materials for review, three
protocols were observed, namely, the source, the search terms and the types of publication.
JIMA The materials were sourced from Scopus, ISI Web of Science, Google Scholar, Emerald
Insight, Taylor and Francis Online, Science Direct and Inderscience Online databases.
Access to these databases was through institution subscription and articles were
downloaded from the database directly or retrieved from publishers’ websites. Articles were
sourced from Scopus and ISI web of science because these databases indexed substantial
business and management sources and have consistent content verification (Levine-Clark
and Gil, 2008; Adriaanse and Rensleigh, 2013). Concurrently, publishers’ databases were
used because they housed articles that had undergone thorough peer view processes prior to
publication to ensure high-quality content (Talib et al., 2015c).
Furthermore, to compile the relevant articles for review, specific terms of “halal”, “halal
logistics” and “halal supply chain” must be found in the title, the keywords and/or the
abstract. The supply chain term was included because logistics is a sub-discipline in supply
chain management and that the term is often used interchangeably (Mangan et al., 2012).
The selection of articles was narrowed or extended beyond the specified terms depending on
the adequacy of the returned search results. For example, the terms “transportation”,
“warehousing” or “distribution” are commonly associated with logistics, and are, therefore,
considered for review.
Further, the search only included published journal articles in English. In other words,
the search excluded publications in the form of book series, chapters, conference
proceedings, editorials, articles in-press and trade publications. Also, as halal research
permeates in various disciplines (Haleem et al.,2020), the search considered only relevant
publications in the field of business and management for review. Publications in finance,
banking, law, food sciences and theology disciplines were omitted. Moreover, following
Zimmermann’s et al. (2016) approach, there was no restriction on the date or year of
publication as this could generate more ample search results. The search process gathered a
total of 87 papers and was then scrutinised in the next process.

3.3 Evaluating and selecting materials

Thirdly, the identified articles were then carefully evaluated. To evaluate the gathered
materials, the articles were tabulated using a spreadsheet application and the key
information was displayed (Zimmermann et al., 2016). Tabulating the key information
assisted in highlighting the articles’ relevancy and allowed for a more systematic and easy
inspection. Subsequently, although the articles gathered, thus, far were obviously relevant
to halal logistics, several articles were not aligned with the review objective. Specifically,
there were articles that did not study or discuss the governmental factor. Therefore, 71
articles were removed from further consideration. To increase the reliability of the selection,
the articles were carefully evaluated amongst the authors (Seuring and Gold, 2012;
Zimmermann’s et al., 2016). A consensus amongst the authors must be reached before any
articles were omitted from or included for further review. Following this approach, 16
articles were selected (Appendix 1).

3.4 Analysing and synthesising materials

After evaluating and selecting the most suitable articles for review, the next step is to
analyse and synthesise the selected materials. The purpose of the analysis stage is to read,
assess and scrutinise every selected paper individually and determine the evidence of the
intended component (the role of government) (Denyer and Tranfield, 2009). Each author was
then tasked to analyse and identify the governmental roles specified in every article. This
process allows for more uniformed findings and brings reliability and clarity to the review
findings (Zimmermann et al., 2016). Content analysis technique was used to analyse the
articles because this approach “offers one sound methodological frame for conducting The role of
rigorous, systematic and reproducible literature review” (Seuring and Gold, 2012, p. 545). government
Subsequently, to synthesise the review, as suggested by Zimmermann et al. (2016), a two-
step approach was conducted. In the first step, the synthesis concentrated on the
quantitative aspect by classifying the studies according to predetermined criteria. Then, in
the second step, a qualitative means of synthesising the information from every selected
article and sought to answer the proposed research question. Table 1 details the quantitative
and qualitative criteria for synthesising the review. Finally, the final process of SLR, the
next part of this paper moves on to report the results of the review and highlight the role of
government in promoting halal logistics.

4. Review results and discussion

Based on the SLR, 16 articles were selected. The rather small number of articles included for
review is nevertheless sufficient. Although there is no exact rule of thumb on the number of
papers for an SLR, a review of fewer than 50 papers is common (Robinson and Lowe, 2015).
Besides, a narrow SLR on niche fields can still offer newer insights (Kraus et al., 2020).
Hence, despite the few papers considered for review, this paper reflects the niche of
governmental studies in halal logistics literature. Onwards, this section discusses the
findings from the SLR. Figure 2 dashboard illustrates the quantitative review summary.
Each of the criteria shown in Table 1 is carefully presented and ultimately answers the
intended research question.

4.1 Publication trend

Collectively, all the reviewed articles are quite recent. Most of the articles were published in
the past five-years. Specifically, at the time of writing, one article was published in 2020,
none in 2019, four in 2018 and 2017, one in 2016 and three in 2015. The remaining articles
were published in 2014. The rather recent publication trend indicates that halal logistics is a
new branch of the logistics literature. This accords with Tieman (2013) that halal logistics is
a new domain in the logistics research and that more research is needed. Similarly, as
scholars shift their attention to halal supply chain research (Haleem et al., 2020), it is to no

Approach Criterion Description

Quantitative Publication trend Specify the trend of publication in a yearly chronological

order
Publication source Articles must be published and sourced from peer-reviewed
journals and of good quality
Location (country) The geographical dispersion of each article based on the
location of the authors
Methodology used Indicate the approaches used in the selected articles
(survey, case studies, concept and interview)
Sampled sector Specify the sampled industry sector and the unit of analysis
Theoretical perspective Identify the underpinning theories applied in the selected
articles
Qualitative Government role Synthesise the contribution of articles to explain the role of Table 1.
government in promoting halal logistics
Approach or strategies Identify the strategies or policy measures to facilitate halal
Qualitative and
logistics implementation quantitative
approach for the
Source: Adapted from Zimmerman et al. (2016) synthesis
JIMA

Figure 2.
Quantitative review
summary

surprise that halal logistics is growing and that the focus on government role is also evident
from this review.

4.2 Publication source

The 16 selected articles are published in eight different journals. Interestingly, more than
half of the articles are from the Journal of Islamic Marketing. The remaining articles are
published in seven different journals and are consistent with the business and management
subject, except for Haleem and Khan (2017) that is published in the interdisciplinary British
Food Journal. A more detailed source of publication is presented in Appendix 1. The review
results match those of Haleem et al. (2020) that the Journal of Islamic Marketing is the largest
contributor to halal research, and in this case, the halal logistics literature. This further
indicates that the review is sourced from reliable journals that housed quality research, and
therefore, justifies the decent quality of halal logistics research.

4.3 Location (country)

Based on the location of the authors, the articles come from four different countries
(Appendix 1). Most of the papers are written by authors from Malaysia with 12 articles. The
remainder of the articles are authors from India with two papers and one paper each from
Indonesia and Australia. A likely explanation is that Malaysia is regarded as a centre of
halal industry (Rahman et al., 2013) and that its halal logistics system is considered one of
the most advanced in the world(Tieman, 2011). Additionally, as Australia and India are the
world’s largest halal food-exporting countries (Kabir, 2015; Zulfakaret al., 2018), it explains
the emerging studies from these countries.
Although the list of countries does not represent a wider geographical distribution, it
does not mean that halal logistics or halal research in general, is not a subject of global
interest. It is important to bear in mind that this representation is based on the location of the The role of
authors’ affiliation. Nonetheless, studies have shown that halal research, as well as halal government
logistics, is prevalent in various countries such as in The Netherlands, UAE, China and the
USA (Tieman et al., 2013; Haleem et al., 2020). As this review only considers articles that
dealt with government factor, it could explain why fewer countries are highlighted.
Therefore, this further calls for more scholars from various countries to study halal logistics
from a governmental perspective.

4.4 Methodology used

The systematic review indicates that most studies applied a single-method approach while
several articles (Talib and Hamid, 2014; Haleem and Khan, 2017; Khan et al., 2018;
Zulfakaret al., 2018) used mixed-method approach. This review supports evidence from
Golicic and David’s (2012) that a single-method approach is prevalent in logistics research.
From the SLR, findings also reveal that quantitative approaches are more common than
qualitative approaches. This corroborates the reviews by Sachan and Datta (2005) and
Zimmermann et al. (2016) and that quantitative methodology is predominant in logistics
research.
Collectively, the selected 16 articles conduct seven types of research methods. The review
shows that survey-based approach is the most common method (Tieman and van
Nistelrooy, 2014; Tarmizi et al., 2014; Ngah et al., 2015, 2017; Talib et al., 2017; Lestari et al.,
2018; Rashid and Bojei, 2019). The finding is consistent with the review by Sachan and
Datta (2005) that survey methodology is widely implemented in logistics research. The
second most widely used approach is literature reviews (Talib and Hamid, 2014; Talib et al.,
2015b; Haleem and Khan, 2017; Khan et al., 2018) and followed by interviews (Talib and
Hamid, 2014; Talib et al., 2015a; Zulfakar et al., 2018). Other methods include case studies
(Rahman et al.,2018; Zulfakar et al., 2018), expert panels (Haleem and Khan, 2017; Khan et al.,
2018) and one paper each for a concept (Talib et al., 2016) and a focus group (Zailani et al.,
2017). A complete list of methodologies is presented in Appendix 1.
Overall, the review suggests that there is a good distribution of research methodology
applied across halal logistics research. Although the quantitative survey approach is
popular, it is reassuring to know that qualitative approaches are also implemented. The
authors argue that qualitative approaches are necessary to gain more in-depth knowledge
and discover hidden or overlooked governmental factors while quantitative methodologies
are necessary to validate qualitative data and substantiate research findings.

4.5 Sampled sector

This sub-section intends to highlight the sampled industry sector and the examined units of
analyses. According to the review summary in Appendix 1, it is apparent from the review
that almost all the articles select business organisations as samples and that managerial
personnel is clearly the preferred units of analyses. Amongst the commonly sampled sector
are the LSPs, halal product manufacturers and the government sector. The sampled
population ranges between 10 and 160 respondents. Additionally, aligned with the location
of studies mentioned in Sub-heading 4.3, Malaysian companies are the most sampled
population.
Furthermore, the research done by Lestari et al. (2018) is the only article that studied
consumer viewpoint. This single study sampled more than 700 halal consumers in
Indonesia. Two articles did not report any sampling as these are conceptual (Talib et al.,
2016) and desk review (Talib et al., 2015b) articles. These review findings support the
JIMA argument of the rationale behind the shift from the consumer’s perspective to the firm’s
perspective research (Karia and Asaari, 2016).
Taken together, as most articles conducted studies on business organisation, it reflects
that the governmental factor has more repercussions on businesses than on consumers. A
possible explanation for this might be that halal LSPs need to legitimise their operations and
the only way is to have legislative approval directly from the government. Besides,
governments’ fiscal measures such as taxes and tariffs on businesses are more substantial
than that of the consumers.

4.6 Theoretical perspective

Overall, the analysis of the selected 16 articles suggests the lack of prevailing theory in halal
logistics research. Findings reported in Appendix 1 indicate that many of the articles did not
report any underpinning theory. This contradicts the findings shown in Subsection 4.2 of
the methodology used that majority of halal logistics research is quantitatively-based.
Supposedly, because most halal logistics research applies quantitative survey methodology,
theory applications should be frequent – which is not the case in halal logistics research.
This argument is based on the fact that quantitative studies often apply theories to validate
the proposed concept (Defee et al., 2010). Irrespective of the finding, the lack of theoretical
application is not a surprise. Karia (2019) recently postulates that halal logistics research is
less theory-driven and needs its own unique theory.
Rather than lamenting on the lack of theory application in halal logistics, it is more
prudent to acknowledge those that have theoretical foundations in their research. From the
review, the most often used theory is the concept of critical success factors (CSFs) (Talib
et al., 2015b; Haleem and Khan, 2017; Khan et al., 2018) and the institutional theory (Talib
et al., 2016; Zulfakar et al., 2018). The remaining theories are presented in Appendix 1. It is
understandable why scholars (Talib et al., 2015b; Haleem and Khan, 2017; Khan et al., 2018)
use the CSFs. This concept aims to explore a set of factors that is integral to the success of an
organisation and quite evidently, the governmental factor is known to be a dominant force
(Talib et al., 2015b). Moreover, it is encouraging to find that the institutional theory,
particularly the coercive isomorphism of the government, is also used in halal logistics
research (Talib et al., 2016; Zulfakar et al., 2018). This could suggest that research on the
influence of government on halal logistics is on the right track.
As most of the reviewed articles did not identify theoretical foundation, perhaps, future
research in halal logistics should explicitly state the theory or theories being applied. More
theoretical applications should be undertaken because theories are integral to the
advancement of logistics research (Defee et al., 2010). Perhaps, scholars could apply
pertinent theories in logistics research (Defee et al., 2010), preferably one that deals with
governmental issues such as resource-based, agency or political economy theories. Scholars
are encouraged to apply relevant theories in logistics research because it could “remove the
burden of interpretation from the reader, ease the understanding of the work and reinforce
the standard of acceptable research” (Defee et al., 2010, p. 420).

4.7 The role of government

Following the systematic review of the 16 articles, it is with confidence to reiterate that the
government roles cannot be ignored. The government is a formidable force in the halal
logistics sector, but it is often overlooked. This is reflected by the fragmented pieces of
information on the role of government across the selected studies and with only one focal
paper (Zulfakar et al., 2018) that scrutinises the function of government in halal logistics.
Therefore, this subsection is the central piece of the paper and it answers the specified The role of
research question of determining the roles of government in promoting halal logistics. government
The role of government can be divided into following six broad categories: regulation,
financial incentives, taxation, infrastructure, guidance and encouragement and education
and labour supply. A breakdown of the description of each category is presented in Table 2.
4.7.1 Regulation. Generally, governments govern by enforcing sets of rules and regulations
for business communities, and society at large. Ngah et al. (2015) suggest that efforts from
the government through regulations and enforcement are needed and that government
needs to be more assertive in promoting halal warehousing. The role of government in
encouraging more logistics firms to offer halal-compliant services is imperative because the
push is more symbolic than organisational self-initiatives (Ngah et al., 2015). Despite the
apparent role of government, regulatory efforts are more channelled to halal goods, largely
on food products, but Talib et al. (2015a) argue that similar attention should also be placed
on regulating and promoting the service sector including halal logistics. Hence, a regulatory
requirement from the government could coerce firms to practise halal operation and make
halal logistics an industry-standard operating procedure especially when halal business is a
national agenda (Tieman and van Nistelrooy, 2014; Talib et al., 2015a).
The regulatory role of governments is evident in the halal logistics industry,
particularly by means of establishing a series of industry standards (Haleem and Khan,
2017; Rahman et al., 2018; Rashid and Bojei, 2019). For example, the Malaysian
Government is applauded for instituting halal standards and certification starting with
the highly referenced Malaysian standard for halal food production, preparation,
handling and storage, the MS1500 (Rahman et al., 2013). Now, in its third revision, the

Role Description Policy measures

Regulation Rules or directives constitute by the
government to regulate the halal logistics
industry
Financial A means of encouragement through fiscal
incentives stimuli or monetary benefits offered to
businesses that implement halal logistics
operations
Taxation An approach to relax tax levies by
temporarily reduce or remove direct and
indirect tax payments
Infrastructure Adequate, reliable, and sustainable
physical and non-physical infrastructures
to facilitate halal logistical processes
Guidance and An advisory role and a focal point for
encouragement industry reference and collaboration,
promoting best practises or an exhortative
force
Education and Ensuring continuous development and
labour supply supply of halal logistics talents through
dedicated education institutions or
recognised training programs
Establishing halal logistics standards and
certification and legislation
Support through capital investments,
monetary grants, subsidy provisions or
direct financial injection
Provisional tax relief by means of income,
property, investment, tax exemptions or
sales tax exemptions and through tariffs
reduction
Construction of dedicated halal logistics
network infrastructure, terminals, facilities
equipment, land use, and IT via PPP, loan
and financing
Setup a centralised agency that oversees the
halal logistics industry, encourage business
matching and partnerships with local or
overseas firms
Providing education allowance, scholarships
or subsidised or waived fees to students
while promoting halal logistics-related Table 2.
programs amongst education providers by The role of
supplying with relevant teaching and government in halal
learning materials logistics
JIMA MS1500:2019 is considered the world’s leading halal standards and is widely
implemented by businesses around the world (Talib and Hamid, 2014). The MS1500 sets
the foundation for halal-oriented operations and prompts the creation of MS2400: Halal
Supply Chain Management System Standard. The three-part MS2400 covers the
logistical aspects of transportation, warehousing and retailing.
The MS2400 is an effort by the Malaysian Government to ensure a streamlined halal
logistics operation that gives logistics firms the guidance on how to navigate through this
newly offered logistics service. As the introduction of the MS2400, counties have begun to
develop their own halal logistics standards. For example, the Emirates standards and
metrology authority, UAE and the Standards and Metrology Institute for the Islamic
Countries, Turkey halal logistics and supply chain management system are in the pipeline.
However, current halal logistics standards are on a voluntary basis and there are certain
quarters in the logistics industry that are reluctant to implement halal logistics and cite
costs, collaboration and incentives as the common inhibitors (Talib and Hamid, 2014; Talib
et al., 2015a, 2017; Zailani et al., 2017). The dilemma arises when product owners must
ensure that productions must comply with the halal principles, but the logistical aspects of
product distribution remain voluntary. This would cause a loophole and potential break in
the halal logistics supply chains. Hence, governments should be more stringent in enforcing
halal logistics compliance where the halal operation conformity should encompass not only
the production but also the distribution aspect as well. Perhaps, these issues can be
addressed by highlighting the other accommodating roles of government in the following
subsections.
4.7.2 Financial incentives. The government role can also be in the form of providing
financial incentives. This role is a means of encouragement through fiscal stimuli or
monetary benefits offered to businesses that implement halal logistics operations.
According to Khan et al. (2018), government support through funding could spark firm-level
managerial commitment. Additionally, according to Rashid and Bojei (2019), an example
from the Malaysian Government of providing direct monetary funds through grant
allocation to induce more halal-certified businesses in the country should be adopted.
Similarly, governmental support using financial incentives could potentially improve
logistics performance and encourage more logistics firms to be halal certified (Talib et al.,
2016). Hence, it is evident that the role of government as a financial backer and aider is
necessary for promoting halal logistics.
The financial assistance from the government should not be viewed as being heavily
dependent on the public sector. Instead, the governmental financial intervention should be
observed as a policy measure that can stimulate firms to implement halal logistics, grow the
halal industry and generate the economy. Moreover, as most halal companies are small and
medium enterprises (Zailani et al., 2015) and that logistics facilities and infrastructures are
capital intensive (Ngah et al., 2015), there needs to be financial assistance from the
government to kick-start halal logistics operation and service offerings.
However, a “carrot and stick” approach should be practised by the government. With a
variety of financial initiatives introduced by governments (the carrot), stricter measures
should be imposed with clear objectives (the stick). The given incentives should not be
exploited and that maintaining halal logistics and supply chain integrity must always be
observed. Otherwise, the government can always retract the support and this could
jeopardise the halal logistics development.
4.7.3 Taxation. Amongst the common roles of government is the duty to secure taxes
from registered companies operating in the country. Although taxes are considered a burden
in the logistics sector (Jhawar et al., 2017), the review of halal logistics literature indicates
otherwise. The review suggests that taxes are regarded as an incentive instrument. The role of
Promoting halal logistics through taxation is an approach to relax tax levies from the government
government by reducing or removing direct and indirect tax payments temporarily. There
are a variety of measures to promote the halal industry through taxation such as the
exemption of income, property, investment or sales taxes or by tariffs reduction.
Several authors (Talib et al., 2015a, 2016; Rahman et al., 2018; Rashid and Bojei, 2019)
have considered the promotional role of governments through tax incentive offerings. For
example, Rashid and Bojei (2019), highlight the Malaysian Government relaxed tax
obligation by offering total investment tax allowance and double tax deduction for limited
periods to encourage more firms to practise halal operations. Similarly, although offering
halal logistics services is challenging, LSPs in Malaysia welcome the tax inducements
offered by the federal government (Talib et al., 2015a). Moreover, Talib et al. (2016) deduce
that tax incentives offered by governments would spew positive impact such as
encouraging more halal logistics service adoption or potentially improve logistics
performance. Together, these studies fortify the review and notion that the government
plays an important role in promoting halal logistics.
4.7.4 Infrastructure. It is the duty of the government to provide adequate, reliable and
sustainable infrastructures to facilitate logistical operations. Infrastructure arrangement
from the government can be in physical and nonphysical forms (Kumagai et al., 2013). The
availability of logistics ports, transportation hubs, road networks, warehousing facilities
and handling equipment are examples of physical infrastructure whereas information
technology (IT) and financial infrastructure are examples of nonphysical support. As
mentioned earlier, the cost of logistics infrastructure is substantial, and therefore, the
infrastructure arrangements from the government are highly needed.
According to Khan et al. (2018), IT infrastructure is critical for implementing traceability
in the halal supply chain and support from the government is critical in developing IT
infrastructure. Additionally, the high cost of building and operating infrastructure is
substantial (Ngah et al., 2015), thus, assistance from the government in the form of publicly
run infrastructure such as seaports or warehouses could, perhaps, encourage more logistics
firms to implement halal logistics.
Furthermore, government support could also be in the form of land-use planning.
Granting designated government-owned land for the purpose of developing the halal
industry is another type of infrastructural support. For example, the establishments of halal
parks or clusters in countries such as Malaysia, China, the UK and Brunei, are evidence that
governments are recognising the growth and opportunities in the halal industry (Tieman,
2015; Zailani et al., 2017; Islam and Madkouri, 2018).
Although government infrastructure provision is necessary, depending on the
government solely is not encouraged and sustainable. To overcome this, perhaps, a public-
private partnership (PPP) is desirable. For instance, the partnerships between the Malaysian
Government and MASkargo and Malaysia Airport are an excellent example of PPP.
MASkargo, a cargo arm for the government-linked company (GLC), Malaysia Airlines, is
certified halal allowing it to offer halal logistics services at its Advance Cargo Centre, and
therefore, opening wider market possibilities. MASkargo and its Advance Cargo Centre is
currently the only halal-certified cargo infrastructure and service provider that is halal
certified in the country (Rahman et al., 2018). Meanwhile, Malaysia Airport, also a GLC,
capitalises on the growing halal industry and is making efforts to becoming the region’s
leading halal air cargo hub (Kamar et al., 2018). The established halal logistics firms and
infrastructure, and along with strong governmental support, are amongst the main reasons
behind Malaysia’s progress in the halal industry (Talib and Hamid, 2014). Therefore, the
JIMA review presented in this section reaffirms the critical role of the government in promoting
halal logistics by providing infrastructural support.
4.7.5 Guidance and encouragement. Another government role in promoting halal
logistics is an advisory role. Governments should be a focal point for industry reference,
encouraging inter-country or cross-organisational collaborations, promoting best practises
or become an exhortative force in the industry. Establishing a centralised agency that
oversees the halal logistics industry would encourage business matching and partnerships
with local or overseas firms or introduce intergovernmental scheme and strategies.
However, forming a centralised agency from the ground up would be counterproductive and
requires additional resources. Alternatively, perhaps, an established agency with stable
resources and support from a government could be a champion that advocates the need for a
unified and centralised approach.
This is exemplified by the Malaysian Government’s proactive measures of establishing
the Halal Development Corporation, a GLC that promotes and facilitates the development of
the country’s halal ecosystem (Talib and Hamid, 2014; Rahman et al., 2018). In a similar case
in Australia, although the federal government has no capacity over religious matters, the
formation of the Australian Government Authorised Halal Program is an exemplary
initiative to ensure control and in a way to promote a safe halal logistics chain in the country
(Zulfakar et al., 2018). Another notable example of guidance and encouragement role of the
government is orchestrated by the UAE Government. According to Tieman (2015), the UAE
Government capitalises on the country’s strategic location and advanced logistics network
and infrastructure by establishing the Dubai Islamic Economy Development Centre
(DIEDC) with the halal industry as amongst the seven key sectors. These countries are
amongst the examples of government-guided initiatives that contribute to the halal
economies but also benefit from the halal logistics sector. Although the efforts from the
countries do not explicitly indicate logistics as a principal sector, it goes without saying that
halal logistics does play a pivotal role in the success of each initiative. As demonstrated by
Talib and Hamid (2014), the halal logistics sector is crucial to ensure an uncompromised
halal supply chain and that the strong encouragement from governments is needed to seize
the opportunities that lie within the halal industry.
Through government-backed initiatives, firms will be more encouraged to participate
and offer halal logistics operations. A reasonable explanation is that government
involvement could portray a significant and sustainable venture thus instilling a sense of
confidence amongst firms. Hence, that is why the guidance and encouragement role of the
government may stimulate halal logistics adoption.
4.7.6 Education and labour supply. Ensuring a continuous development and quality
supply of talents through dedicated education institutions or recognised training programs
is the educational role of the government in promoting halal logistics. Many recent studies
(Talib and Hamid, 2014; Tieman, 2015; Rahman et al., 2018) demonstrate that education and
human capital are fundamentals to the development of halal logistics. According to Tieman
(2015), education and research could propel the industry further and cultivate innovation,
operational advancements and ensuring the supply of manpower. Therefore, normally, it is
the government’s responsibility to prepare a conducive ecosystem for the continuous
generation of professionals that could encourage more firms to implement halal logistics.
Rahman et al. (2018) emphasise that the government should intensify training for
logistics professionals because a skilled and trained workforce in the halal logistics sector is
highly needed. This is underlined by Talib et al. (2015a) that the deficiency of halal logistics
professionals hinders the sector’s growth. Moreover, apart from the urge to have a halal-
trained labour force, it is equally important for logistics companies to enlighten their
employees and top management on the benefits and rationales of implementing halal The role of
logistics (Ngah et al., 2015). government
Governments should then establish several policy measures to overcome the pressing
need for halal logistics trained workforce. Amongst the initiatives could be by providing
education allowance, scholarships or subsidised or waived fees to learners, while promoting
halal logistics-related programs amongst education providers by supplying with relevant
teaching and learning materials. These suggestions are in line with Rashid and Bojei’s
(2019) view that the institutional structure of the capacity building through research and
development might grow the halal industry. Evidently, Talib and Hamid (2014) and Tieman
(2015) outline the participation of public universities and research institutes to offer
structured quality education and vocational training in halal logistics because their
involvement could tackle the issue of talent deficiencies in the industry.

4.8 Approach and strategies

From the review of the articles, the government obviously has extensive and flexible means
to govern and promote halal logistics. There are considerable policy measures and
instruments that can be explored and applied. However, the application should be carefully
considered and take into account numerous factors such as resources, readiness and costs. A
combination of policy measures can be packaged together in promoting halal logistics to
businesses. For example, regulation and infrastructure policy measures could be combined
by regulating and allowing only halal-certified LSPs to use state-of-the-art halal logistics
dedicated infrastructure. Additionally, governments could offer a stimulus package (i.e.
lower taxes and interest rates) and financial incentives for halal logistics adopters. These
financial supports and relaxing taxation policy measures would spur more LSPs to
implement halal logistics operations and encourage current adopters to remain committed.
Admittedly, halal logistics is relatively new, and the long-term impact and effectiveness
of the proposed policy measures are still uncertain. The proposed policy measures, therefore,
need to be exercised with caution. Blanket policy measures that plainly disregard countries
and regions should never be implemented. This could overwhelm the present logistics
systems because different countries and territories have distinct sets of halal requirements
and practises (Tieman, 2011; Tieman, 2013). Hence, policy measures should always be
customised depending on the country’s demand, population or available infrastructure but
the halal integrity must never be compromised. For instance, halal regulations in Muslim
countries might be stricter than those of the non-Muslim countries but exporting firms
should always abide by the importing countries’ halal logistics decrees regardless of the
level of strictness. Moreover, logistics infrastructure such as seaports or airports in Muslim
countries must have complete halal logistics infrastructures whereas non-Muslim countries
might have similar services but with slightly relaxed measures, and hence, different policies
on infrastructure, taxes and regulation should be applied accordingly. Perhaps, the adoption
of Wilson and Liu’s (2011) halal paradigm could conciliate the contrasting halal logistics
operation involving two or more sovereignty. Although the operationalisation would be a
challenge, devising policy measures that cater to Muslim and non-Muslim markets could
prove to be decisive in minimising cross-contamination and risks (Tieman, 2011; Wilson and
Liu, 2011).
More needs to be done to ensure quality education and constant supply of talents in the
halal logistics sector. Initiatives from governments in the form of education grants or
funding that establishes specialised centres, programs or training could promote halal
logistics implementation. This reinforces Talib and Hamid’s (2014) notion that strong
governmental support to promote halal logistics is desperately needed to address the short
JIMA supply of halal logistics-trained professionals. Countries that are currently at the
development stage of halal logistics could learn from those such as Malaysia and Indonesia,
that have a well-structured education system offered by public universities and government-
sponsored training that produces learned and experienced halal logistics professionals
(Talib and Hamid, 2014).
Furthermore, strategising policies for halal logistics would also require
intergovernmental cooperation through knowledge sharing or trade alliance. Multi-
government support is seen as a way to help country members to learn and adopt best
practises from one another. Examples can be drawn from the like of the Organisation of
Islamic Cooperation or the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The ASEAN
Cooperation in Halal Food (2017–2020) is an initiative that seeks to strengthen international
competitiveness within the region and simultaneously harmonises halal-related policies.
Such an initiative is futile if countries fail to acknowledge the importance of halal logistics,
and therefore, policies are needed to promote halal logistics. For instance, currently, in
Malaysia, the government is promoting the halal logistics sector by fully exempting income
tax for five-years and the exemption of duty and sales taxes for firms that implement halal
logistics. Perhaps, members of the ASEAN coalition could emulate such undertakings to
encourage halal logistics operation within their respective countries and potentially the
region.
Although the commitment to promote halal logistics through policy measures is at an
early stage, the implementation must be prudence. Most importantly, the mutual public-
private accord should be addressed. Considering that the embodiment of halal amongst
private firms is purely to achieve strategicand sustainable competitive advantages (Wilson
and Liu, 2010), the establishment of policy measures without proper consolidation with
private firms may lead to the abandonment of government support in promoting halal
logistics. Traces of evidence can be seen from various research that describes the
government factor is a serious barrier that constrains the development and implementation
of halal logistics amongst private logistics firms (Talib et al., 2015a; Ngah et al., 2015; Zailani
et al., 2017; Khan et al., 2019). Therefore, deploying policies relating to halal logistics should
be treated with care to allow logistics firms to gradually abide by the policies and regulation
that ultimately leads to a win-win situation.
The results presented in this section inform readers of the recent updates on halal
logistics research through a governmental lens, highlight the roles of government in
promoting halal logistics, and offer discussion on the probable policy measures and
strategies. To summarise, Figure 3 presents an illustration of government support as a
foundation, its roles and strategies to promote halal logistics.

5. Conclusions
To sum up, the role of government is widely acknowledged in various logistics fields but
less so in the halal logistics domain. This is evident in the limited number of institutional
themed research and the fragmented pieces of information in halal logistics literature.
Recognising the shortcomings, this review paper aimed to accentuate the roles of
government by scrutinising the extant halal logistics research. Specifically, the research
question of “what are the roles of government in promoting halal logistics” was proposed
and evidence was drawn from an SLR. This study reviewed 16 halal logistics English
articles that were sourced from online databases. Then, publication trend, source of
publication, location of studies, methodologies used, sampled sectors and underpinning
theories were described to portray the progress and status of halal logistics research.
 The role of
government

Figure 3.
The roles and
strategies of
government in
promoting halal
logistics
JIMA Subsequently, the roles of government in promoting halal logistics were highlighted and
several policy approaches and strategies were discussed.
Review results indicate that there is a yearly chronological trend increase in halal
logistics research. Additionally, the Journal of Islamic Marketing is the top journal that
contributed to most halal logistics literature. In terms of the location of studies, Malaysia is
the major location for halal logistics research. Next, the most applied methodology is
quantitative survey approach. Meanwhile, the review also indicated that researchers often
used a multi-method approach. Subsequently, most halal logistics research sampled the
logistics service and halal manufacturing sectors but hardly on the government sector. As
for the underpinning theories in halal logistics research, the institutional theory and the CSF
concept are the often-used theories. As for the role of government in halal logistics, the
review indicated six roles, namely, regulation, financial incentives, taxation, infrastructure,
guidance and encouragement, and education and labour supply. Finally, seven policy
approaches and strategies were highlighted.

5.1 Research implications

The findings from the systematic review might have significant implications for the
understanding of the governmental role in halal logistics. It further accentuates the critical
role of the government in promoting halal logistics and provides insights to relevant
scholars, practitioners and certainly to the public sector.
5.1.1 Implications for scholars. For scholars, the review portrays the limited number of
halal logistics research that takes on a governmental perspective, and therefore, presents an
opportunity that might lay the groundwork for future research. Moreover, this review paper
adds to the growing body of halal logistics research. It enriches the halal research
disciplines, particularly one that underlines the often overlooked yet significantly important
role of the government in the halal economy. Information from the present review could also
facilitate scholars in formulating research instruments, informing them of the suitable
channels to publish their research, and, perhaps, ideas of theoretical formation or application
that is deficient in halal logistics studies.
5.1.2 Implications for practitioners. As for practitioners, the new understanding should
inform managers of the various policies and measures put in place by the government to
encourage more halal logistics service offerings. The knowledge contained in this paper
could be of use to managers for strategic decision-making. The article may also inform
managers of the global halal industry’s bright prospects and guide businesses to leverage
the numerous governmental incentives. Ideally, having underlined the integral roles and
support of the government in promoting halal logistics, this article could encourage halal
LSP to continue halal practises and, perhaps, instigate more firms to venture and offer halal
logistics services.
5.1.3 Implications for public sectors. Concurrently, the highlighted roles and policy
measures would encourage more significant government initiatives to invest more in the
halal logistics sector. In addition, the insights from this study should be useful to fine-tune
current policies or guide future policy development and enforcement. Doing this would lead
to mutually beneficial outcomes. Perhaps, the roles and strategies highlighted in this study
should provide governments with suggestions on the possible approach to stimulate local
LSPs to adopt halal operations and revitalise the currently saturated global logistics sector.
Furthermore, as businesses become borderless and continue to penetrate foreign territories,
the implementation of halal logistics for the distribution of goods and services would enable
governments to appease Muslim-majority or minority markets. For instance, as the global
halal industry also draws the interests of non-Muslims, this review may well benefit the
governments of non-Muslim countries. Countries such as Japan, which is geared towards the The role of
Olympics, and the Japanese Government’s efforts to cater to the Muslim athletes and government
spectators, should consider the involvement of halal logistics and use the highlighted
approaches and strategies to enhance the value chain further. Therefore, the information
gained from this review could inform policymakers of the various means of promoting not
only the halal logistics sector but also the halal industry at large.

5.2 Limitations and recommendations

This review-based paper has some limitations, and therefore, the highlighted governmental
roles and presented arguments should be carefully interpreted. Firstly, the review is limited
by the contents of the selected articles, and therefore, arguments and syntheses were
confined to the context of governmental roles relevant within the halal logistics sector. In
other words, the six roles may or may not fully represent the actual role of government in
other logistics fields such as green logistics, reverse logistics or humanitarian logistics.
Hence, readers should practise caution when generalising the review findings. To overcome
this limitation, future studies are encouraged to broaden the scope of review by including
studies from other logistics domains, but the governmental focus should be maintained.
This approach could potentially garner a thorough account of governmental roles in the
logistics industry. Secondly, the reliability and validity of content analysis-based SLR
adopted in this study are contentious. The quality and the rigorousness of selected articles
would somehow contribute to this limitation. Thus, future research should validate the
governmental roles highlighted in this paper with more sound empirical measures. A meta-
analysis of halal logistics research is a good attempt for future research. Additionally,
quantifying the reliability and validity of the findings from this paper by conducting field
surveys would further substantiate the underlined governmental roles or potentially
uncover overlooked roles. Notwithstanding these limitations, this paper answers the
proposed research question successfully. In addition, despite the limitations, this review
paper is considered amongst the first to attempt to consolidate the dispersed halal logistics
literature and systematically accentuates the pivotal role of government in the halal logistics
industry.

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 JIMA

Table A1.

articles for review

Summary of selected
Paper Government
no. Author Source Objective Factor Country Sample MethodologyTheory Findings and Recommendation
Appendix 1

1. Haleem British Food To analyse CSFs Government India Halal food Literature CSF Government support in the form of
and Khan Journal for effective halal policies and logistics review and enforcement, regulation and policies
(2017) logistics support (unspecified panel experts
implementation number of
respondents)
2. Khan et al. Sustainability To identify the Government India Halal food Literature CSF Government may support firms that
(2018) CSFs of traceability support traceability (10 review and have proper awareness
system respondents) panel experts Government support can be in the
implementation is form of training, policies
the halal supply implementation, regulation, physical
chain and non-physical infrastructure,
taxes, monetary funding, subsidies,
and agency role
3. Lestari Journal of To study the halal Unspecified Indonesia Halal consumers Survey Theory of Government role in policy and
et al. Global Business logistics intentions (779 planned legislation is a success factor in
(2018) Advancement respondents) behaviour implementing halal logistics
4. Ngah et al. Journal of To determine halal Unspecified Malaysia Mostly food Survey Technology, Government needs to be more
(2015) Islamic warehousing manufacturers organisation aggressive in promoting halal
Marketing adoption factors (140 and warehousing
respondents) environment Efforts from the government through
(TOE) regulations and enforcement
framework Incentives should be in place to
encourage halal warehouse adoption
5. Ngah et al. Journal of To determine the Unspecified Malaysia Halal food, Survey TOE framework Support from the government is
(2017) Islamic factors behind halal pharmaceuticals more imperative compared to
Accounting and warehouse adoption and cosmetics organisational self-support
Business companies (140 Government should promote halal
Research respondents) warehouse not only to LSP but also
to halal product manufacturers as
well
The role of government can be
through education and financial and
non-financial incentives
(continued)
Paper Government
no. Author Source Objective Factor Country Sample MethodologyTheory Findings and Recommendation

6. Rahman Journal of To identify the Unspecified Malaysia Air transport Case study Unspecified The government’s halal standards
et al. Islamic challenges in carrier (3 are demanding
(2018) Marketing implementing halal respondents) Support from the government
warehouse through tax reduction or exemption
The government is proactive in
attracting investors and romoting
the halal industry.
7. Rashid Journal of To test the Political-legal Malaysia Food and Survey Unspecified Government commitment to halal
and Bojei Islamic relationships factor beverage industry growth is in the form of
(2020) Marketing between halal companies (127 standards, enforcement, and
environment, respondents) incentives
traceability and
supply chain
integrity
8. Talib and Journal of To identify the Government Malaysia LSP (8 Literature Unspecified Government initiatives include
Hamid Islamic strengths, support and respondents) review and policies, standards and procedures,
(2014) Marketing weaknesses, government interviews infrastructure, monetary incentives,
opportunities and coalition and education.
threats of halal Governmental coalitions could
logistics potentially promote trade and halal
logistics adoption
9. Talib et al. International To identify the Government Malaysia LSP (4 Interview Unspecified Strong support from the government
(2015a) Journal of halal logistics barrier respondents) as halal is a national agenda
Logistics operation barriers Government should channel more
Systems and efforts on halal logistics to promote
Management the industry and service
Government can facilitate halal
logistics adoption.
Tax incentives and funded training
should be provided by the
government
10. Talib et al. Journal of To identify the Government Malaysia Not applicable Literature Critica Government support in the form of
(2015b) Islamic CSFs in supply intervention review planning, controlling, regulation,
Marketing chain management and agencies promotion and education
(continued)

Table A1.
The role of
government
 JIMA

Table A1.
Paper Government
no. Author Source Objective Factor Country Sample MethodologyTheory Findings and Recommendation
11. Talib et al. Journal of To establish the Government Malaysia Not applicable Concept Institutional Government support moderates the
(2016) Islamic halal certification– support theory relationship between halal
Marketing logistics certification and logistics
performance performance.
Relationship Government support through
financial assistance, training,
regulatory support and tax
exemption could promote halal
standard implementation
12. Talib et al. International To analyse the LSP Unspecified Malaysia LSP (65 Survey Unspecified Government should be more engaged
(2017) Journal of perception of halal respondents) in disseminating information on
Logistics logistics halal logistics certification
Economics and certification
Globalisation
13. Tarmizi International To identify factors External Malaysia LSP (156 Survey Diffusion of External environment – the
et al. Journal of influencing environment respondents) innovation government could assist in
(2014) Supply Chain readiness to (DOI); Theory of implementing halal logistics
Management implement halal organisational
logistics readiness for
change
14. Tieman Journal of To assess the Government Malaysia Halal food Survey Unspecified Pressure from the government is
and van International perception of halal responsibility manufacturers necessary to make halal logistics a
Nistelrooy Food & logistics amongst (44 respondents) regulatory requirement
(2014) Agribusiness manufacturers
Marketing
15. Zailani Journal of To investigate the Collaboration Malaysia LSP (20–30 Focus group Unspecified Governmental factor is a challenge
et al. Islamic challenges and amongst respondents) for firms to implement halal logistics.
(2017) Marketing opportunities for government With the growing halal industry
firms to implement agencies potential, the government can attract
halal logistics more companies to implement halal
certification and halal logistics
16. Zulfakar Journal of To investigate the Government Australia Meat supply Case study Institutional Coercive pressures are prominent in
et al. Islamic role of institutional policies and chain (31 and interviews theory the form of governmentgulation and
(2018) Marketing pressure influence regulation respondents) policies
on halal supply
chain operation
About the authors The role of
Mohamed Syazwan Ab Talib is an Assistant Professor of Logistics Management at the UBD School government
of Business and Economics, Universiti Brunei Darussalam. He holds a PhD in Management from
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, an MBA from Universiti Selangor and a BBA from Universiti
Teknologi MARA. He was a Senior Lecturer in Marketing at Azman Hashim International Business
School, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia and formerly a Lecturer in Logistics Management at the
Faculty of Business and Information Science, UCSI University. His research and teaching focus
primarily on logistics and supply chain management with specialisation on halal principles,
distribution and standards. Mohamed Syazwan Ab Talib is the corresponding author and can be
contacted at: syazwan.talib@ubd.edu.bn
Li Li Pang is a Lecturer at the Universiti Brunei Darussalam’s School of Business and Economics
(UBDSBE). She was formerly at UBD’s Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) and was one of the
Coordinators of the Executive Development Programme for Senior Government Officers and Middle
Management Officers (EDPSGO and EDPMMO) at the Institute of Leadership, Innovation and
Advancement (ILIA), Universiti Brunei Darussalam. Dr Pang teaches public policy and governance
issues, and her current research interests focus on local governance and public sector improvements.
She holds an MSc in Public Policy from the University of Bristol, UK and PhD (Management) from
Monash University, Australia.
Abdul Hafaz Ngah is currently a Senior Lecturer at the School of Maritime Business and
Management, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu. He received his PhD in Technology Management
(Halal Supply Chain Adoption) from Universiti Malaysia Pahang. His research interests are on
technology management, halal logistics and supply chain, halal food, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and
tourism marketing.

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