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The Role of Government in Promoting Halal Logistics: A Systematic Literature Review
Mohamed Syazwan Ab Talib
UBD School of Business and Economics
Universiti Brunei Darussalam
Jalan Tungku Link BE1410
Brunei Darussalam
syazwan.talib@ubd.edu.bn
Li Li Pang
UBD School of Business and Economics
Universiti Brunei Darussalam
Jalan Tungku Link BE1410
Brunei Darussalam
lili.pang@ubd.edu.bn
Abdul Hafaz Ngah
Faculty of Business, Economy and Social Development
Universiti Malaysia Terengganu
21030 Kuala Nerus, Terengganu
Malaysia
hafaz.ngah@umt.edu.my
Appeared in:
Journal of Islamic Marketing (ahead-of-print)
DOI: 10.1108/JIMA-05-2020-0124
Publisher:
Emerald Publishing Limited
Publication date:
2 July 2020
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Abstract
The Role of Government in Promoting Halal Logistics: A Systematic Literature Review
Purpose: The paper intends 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 among 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
Article Classification: Literature Review
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.
A heartfelt appreciation to the authors’ spouses for their continuous support throughout the
pandemic quarantine period, which made the presentation of this paper possible.
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The Role of Government in Promoting Halal Logistics: A Systematic 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 among 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
$2.2 trillion and expects it to reach $3.2 trillion by the year 2024 (DinarStandard, 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 the growing demand, and form value creation
simultaneously (Tieman, 2013; Karia and Assari, 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 Assari, 2016). It is defined as the processes involved in the
movement and distribution of goods and services in accordance with Sharia 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 practices
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 Assari,
2016), the number of halal logistics studies focused on organisational views have certainly increased. For
instance, Ngah et al. (2015; 2019) examine the impetuses of halal warehouse and transport implementation
among food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical companies in Malaysia. In another research, Zailani et al. (2017)
identify the halal logistics prospects and challenges among logistics service providers (LSP). Similarly, Zailani
et al. (2018) assess the logistics service quality among 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
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various logistics fields such as in sustainable logistics (Chhabra et al., 2017; Li et al., 2020), humanitarian
logistics (Kunz and Reiner, 2012; Dube, 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 reveal 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 factor 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 means of surveying
the relevant existing halal logistics literature. Specifically, through a 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. And for relevant authorities, this paper could shed some lights 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 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 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. Lastly, part five concludes by
summarising the findings, addressing the limitations, and suggesting several recommendations for future
studies.
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2. Government Roles in the Logistics Industry
Primarily driven by the commitment to support 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., 2015; Jhawar et al., 2017; Li et al., 2020), they also 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 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 practices 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
among 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. (2020), 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.
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Despite the apparent role of government in the logistics literature, there are a limited 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 utilized in numerous logistics research such
as reverse logistics (Govindan and Bouzon, 2018), sustainable logistics (Ren et al., 2020), 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; Zimmerman 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 (1) formulating review questions, (2) searching for materials, (3) evaluating and
selecting, (4) analysing and synthesising, and (5) reporting review results. Figure 1 illustrates the SLR 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: 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.
The materials were sourced from Scopus, ISI Web of Science, Google Scholar, Emerald Insight, Taylor &
Francis Online, ScienceDirect, 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 contents (Talib et al., 2015c).
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Figure 1: Systematic Literature Review Process
Source: Adapter from Denyer and Tranfield (2009) and Zimmerman et al. (2016)
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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
Zimmerman’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
scrutinized 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 (Zimmerman’s 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 among
the authors (Seuring and Gold, 2012; Zimmerman’s et al., 2016). A consensus among 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 (Zimmerman et al., 2016). Content analysis technique was used to analyse the articles
because this approach “offers one sound methodological frame for conducting rigorous, systematic and
reproducible literature review” (Seuring and Gold, 2012, p. 545).
Subsequently, to synthesise the review, as suggested by Zimmerman 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. Lastly, 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.
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Table 1: Qualitative and Quantitative Approach for Synthesis
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, 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 government in promoting halal logistics
Approach or strategies
Identify the strategies or policy measures to facilitate
halal logistics implementation
Source: Adapted from Zimmerman et al. (2016)
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 on halal supply chain research (Haleem et al., 2020), it is to no
surprise that halal logistics is growing and that the focus on government role is also evident from this review.
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Figure 2: Quantitative Review Summary
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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 (see Appendix 1). Most
of the papers are written by authors from Malaysia with twelve 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; Zulfakar et 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 authors’ affiliation. Nonetheless, studies have shown
that halal research, as well as halal logistics, is prevalent in various countries such as in the Netherlands,
UAE, China, and USA (Tieman et al., 2013; Haleem et al., 2020). Since 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 on a governmental perspective.
4.4. Methodology Used
The systematic review indicates that most studies applied single-method approach while several articles
(Talib and Hamid, 2014; Haleem and Khan, 2017; Khan et al., 2018; Zulfakar et 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
Zimmerman 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, 2020). 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.
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Overall, the review suggests that there is a good distribution of research methodology applied across halal
logistics research. Although 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 factor 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 are clearly the preferred units of
analyses. Among 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 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 repercussion 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 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
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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 (see Defee et al., 2010), preferably one
that deals with governmental issues such as the 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. 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 scrutinizes the function of
government in halal logistics. Therefore, this subsection is the central piece of the paper and it answers the
specified research question of determining the roles of government in promoting halal logistics.
The role of government can be divided into six broad categories: (1) regulation, (2) financial incentives, (3)
taxation, (4) infrastructure, (5) guidance and encouragement, and (6) 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, regulatory requirement from the government
could coerce firms to practice 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,
2020). 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 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.
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Table 2: The Role of Government in Halal Logistics
Role
Description
Policy Measures
Regulation
Rules or directives constitute by the
government to regulate the halal
logistics industry
Establishing halal logistics standards
and certification and legislation
Financial
incentives
A means of encouragement through
fiscal stimuli or monetary benefits
offered to businesses that implement
halal logistics operations
Support through capital investments,
monetary grants, subsidy provisions,
or direct financial injection
Taxation
An approach to relax tax levies by
temporarily reduce or remove direct
and indirect tax payments
Provisional tax relief my means of
income, property, investment, tax
exemptions, or sales tax exemptions
and through tariffs reduction
Infrastructure
Adequate, reliable, and sustainable
physical and non-physical
infrastructures to facilitate halal
logistical processes
Construction of dedicated halal
logistics network infrastructure,
terminals, facilities equipment, land
use, and information technology via
public-private partnership, loan and
financing
Guidance and
encouragement
An advisory role and a focal point for
industry reference and collaboration,
promoting best practices, or an
exhortative force
Setup a centralised agency that
oversees the halal logistics industry,
encourage business matching and
partnerships with local or overseas
firms.
Education and
labour supply
Ensuring continuous development and
supply of halal logistics talents
through dedicated education
institutions or recognised training
programs
Providing education allowance,
scholarships, or subsidised or waived
fees to students while promoting halal
logistics related programs among
education providers by supplying with
relevant teaching and learning
materials.
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. Since the
introduction of the MS2400, counties have begun to develop their own halal logistics standards. For
example, the Emirates Standards and Metrology Authority (ESMA), UAE and the Standards and Metrology
Institute for the Islamic Countries (SMIIC), 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,
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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 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 (2020), 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 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 (SME) (Zailani et al., 2015), and that
logistics facilities and infrastructures are capital intensive (Ngah et al., 205), 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 jeopardize the halal logistics development.
4.7.3. Taxation
Among 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. Promoting halal logistics through taxation is an approach to relax tax levies from the
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, 2020) have considered the
promotional role of governments through tax incentive offerings. For example, Rashid and Bojei (2020),
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 practice halal operations. Similarly,
although offering halal logistics services is challenging, LSPs in Malaysia welcome the tax inducements
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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 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 among the main reasons
behind Malaysia’s progress in the halal industry (Talib and Hamid, 2014). Therefore, the 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 practices, 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
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agency from the ground up would be counterproductive and requires the 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 (HDC), a government-linked company 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 (AGAHP) 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 among the seven key sectors. These countries are among 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 with
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 among 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 are 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 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
logistics (Ngah et al., 2015).
Governments should then establish several policy measures to overcome the pressing need for halal logistics
trained workforce. Among the initiatives could be by providing education allowance, scholarships, or
subsidised or waived fees to learners, while promoting halal logistics-related programs among education
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providers by supplying with relevant teaching and learning materials. These suggestions are in line with
Rashid and Bojei’s (2020) view that the institutional structure of 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 have 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 utilise 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 operation 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 practices (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, but devising policy measures
that cater to Muslim and non-Muslim markets could proof 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 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).
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Furthermore, strategizing 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 practices from one another. Examples can be drawn from the like of the
Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) 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 harmonizes 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 undertaking to encourage halal
logistics operation within their respective countries, and potentially the region.
Although the commitment to promote halal logistics through policy measure 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 among private firms is purely to achieve strategic and
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 as
a serious barrier that constrains the development and implementation of halal logistics among 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 on 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 a systematic literature review. 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. 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
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Figure 3: The Roles and Strategies of Government in Promoting Halal Logistics
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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. Lastly, seven policy approaches and strategies were highlighted.
5.1. Research Implications
The findings from the systematic review might have significant implication 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 as well as 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 practices 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 Olympics,
and the Japanese government’s efforts to cater to the Muslim athletes and 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.
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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 practice 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. And despite the limitations, this
review paper is considered among 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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Appendix 1: Summary of Selected Articles for Review
#
Author
Source
Objective
Government
Factor
Country
Sample
Methodology
Theory
Findings and
Recommendation
1.
Haleem
and Khan
(2017)
British Food
Journal
To analyse CSFs
for effective halal
logistics
implementation.
Government
policies and
support
India
Halal food
logistics
(unspecified
number of
respondents)
Literature
review and
panel experts
Critical
Success Factor
Government
support in the form
of enforcement,
regulation and
policies.
2.
Khan et al.
(2018)
Sustainability
To identify the
CSFs of
traceability
system
implementation
is the halal
supply chain.
Government
support
India
Halal food
traceability (10
respondents)
Literature
review and
panel experts
Critical
Success Factor
Government may
support firms that
have proper
awareness
Government
support can be in
the form of
training, policies
implementation,
regulation, physical
and non-physical
infrastructure,
taxes, monetary
funding, subsidies,
and agency role.
3.
Lestari et
al. (2018)
Journal of
Global
Business
Advancement
To study the
halal logistics
intentions
Unspecified
Indonesia
Halal consumers
(779
respondents)
Survey
Theory of
planned
behaviour
Government role in
policy and
legislation is a
success factor in
implementing halal
logistics
4.
Ngah et
al. (2015)
Journal of
Islamic
Marketing
To determine
Halal
warehousing
adoption factors.
Unspecified
Malaysia
Mostly food
manufacturers
(140
respondents)
Survey
Technology,
Organization
and
Environment
Government needs
to be more
aggressive in
promoting halal
Post-review version
28
#
Author
Source
Objective
Government
Factor
Country
Sample
Methodology
Theory
Findings and
Recommendation
(TOE)
Framework
warehousing.
Efforts from the
government
through
regulations and
enforcement.
Incentives should
be in place to
encourage halal
warehouse
adoption.
5.
Ngah et
al. (2017)
Journal of
Islamic
Accounting
and Business
Research
To determine the
factors behind
halal warehouse
adoption.
Unspecified
Malaysia
Halal food,
pharmaceuticals
and cosmetics
companies (140
respondents)
Survey
TOE
Framework
Support from the
government is
more imperative
compared to
organizational self-
support.
Government
should promote
halal warehouse
not only to LSP but
to halal product
manufacturers as
well.
The role of
government can be
through education
and financial and
non-financial
Post-review version
29
#
Author
Source
Objective
Government
Factor
Country
Sample
Methodology
Theory
Findings and
Recommendation
incentives.
6.
Rahman
et al.
(2018)
Journal of
Islamic
Marketing
To identify the
challenges in
implementing
halal warehouse.
Unspecified
Malaysia
Air transport
carrier (3
respondents)
Case study
Unspecified
The government’s
halal standards are
demanding.
Support from the
government
through tax
reduction or
exemption.
The government is
proactive in
attracting investor
and promoting the
halal industry.
7.
Rashid
and Bojei
(2020)
Journal of
Islamic
Marketing
To test the
relationships
between halal
environment,
traceability, and
supply chain
integrity.
Political-legal
factor
Malaysia
Food and
beverage
companies (127
respondents)
Survey
Unspecified
Government
commitment to
halal industry
growth is in the
form of standards,
enforcement, and
incentives.
8.
Talib and
Hamid
(2014)
Journal of
Islamic
Marketing
To identify the
strengths,
weaknesses,
opportunities
and threats of
halal logistics.
Government
support and
government
coalition
Malaysia
Logistics service
providers (8
respondents)
Literature
review and
interviews
Unspecified
Government
initiatives include
policies, standards
and procedures,
infrastructure,
monetary
incentives, and
education.
Governmental
Post-review version
30
#
Author
Source
Objective
Government
Factor
Country
Sample
Methodology
Theory
Findings and
Recommendation
coalitions could
potentially
promote trade and
halal logistics
adoption.
9.
Talib et al.
(2015a)
International
Journal of
Logistics
Systems and
Management
To identify the
halal logistics
operation
barriers
Government
barrier
Malaysia
Logistics service
providers (4
respondents)
Interview
Unspecified
Strong support
from the
government as
halal is a national
agenda.
Government
should channel
more efforts on
halal logistics to
promote 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.
(2015b)
Journal of
Islamic
Marketing
To identify the
critical success
factors (CSFs) in
supply chain
management.
Government
intervention
and agencies
Malaysia
Not applicable
Literature
review
Critical
Success Factor
Government
support in the form
of planning,
controlling,
regulation,
promotion and
Post-review version
31
#
Author
Source
Objective
Government
Factor
Country
Sample
Methodology
Theory
Findings and
Recommendation
education.
11.
Talib et al.
(2016)
Journal of
Islamic
Marketing
To establish the
halal
certification–
logistics
performance
Relationship.
Government
support
Malaysia
Not applicable
Concept
Institutional
Theory
Government
support moderates
the relationship
between halal
certification and
logistics
performance.
Government
support through
financial
assistance,
training, regulatory
support and tax
exemption could
promote halal
standard
implementation.
12.
Talib et al.
(2017)
International
Journal of
Logistics
Economics
and
Globalisation
To analyse the
LSP perception of
halal logistics
certification
Unspecified
Malaysia
Logistics service
providers (65
respondents)
Survey
Unspecified
Government
should be more
engaged in
disseminating
information on
halal logistics
certification.
13.
Tarmizi et
al. (2014)
International
Journal of
Supply Chain
Management
To identify
factors
influencing
readiness to
implement halal
logistics
External
environment
Malaysia
Logistics service
providers (156
respondents)
Survey
Diffusion of
Innovation
(DOI); Theory
of
organizational
readiness for
change
External
environment – the
government could
assist in
implementing halal
logistics.
Post-review version
32
#
Author
Source
Objective
Government
Factor
Country
Sample
Methodology
Theory
Findings and
Recommendation
14.
Tieman
and van
Nistelrooy
(2014)
Journal of
International
Food &
Agribusiness
Marketing
To assess the
perception of
halal logistics
among
manufacturers.
Government
responsibility
Malaysia
Halal food
manufacturers
(44 respondents)
Survey
Unspecified
Pressure from the
government is
necessary to make
halal logistics a
regulatory
requirement.
15.
Zailani et
al. (2017)
Journal of
Islamic
Marketing
To investigate
the challenges
and
opportunities for
firms to
implement halal
logistics.
Collaboration
among
government
agencies
Malaysia
Logistics service
providers (20-30
respondents)
Focus group
Unspecified
Governmental
factor is a
challenge for firms
to implement halal
logistics.
With the growing
halal industry
potential,
government can
attract more
companies to
implement halal
certification and
halal logistics.
16.
Zulfakar et
al. (2018)
Journal of
Islamic
Marketing
To investigate
the role of
institutional
pressure
influence on
halal supply
chain operation.
Government
policies and
regulation
Australia
Meat supply
chain (31
respondents)
Case study
and
interviews
Institutional
theory
Coercive pressures
are prominent in
the form of
government
regulation and
policies.
Note: This is the final draft post-review version. Any mistake(s) is/are the authors’.
