CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1.0 Chapter Overview - DSpace@UM

3.3 Sampling DesignThe data for this research was collected through Human Resource Department/Divisionof profit based private sector firms in Malaysia. The questionnaires were sent with acover letter to the CEO/Managing Director or Head of Human Resource of 500 firms.They were regarded as the main sources of information, largely of companies becausethey were directly responsible for the planning and implementation of strategies. Thestratified sample of 500 firms consisted of a cross-section of industrial sectors, small,middle and large, national and multinational organizations located in Klang Valley,Penang, Johor, Sarawak and Sabah. Due to the absence of previous researches done onthis discipline in the perspective of Malaysia, the current study would focus mainly ontwo large industrial sectors, namely manufacturing and services. The targeted sample sizewas 500 firms, selected through Bursa Kuala Lumpur website and other businessdirectories. Since the study was intended to focus on succession planning, a sample (firm)that had been in operation for five or more years and had seven or more employees wasused (Motwani et al., 2006). The respondents were assured that their responses were forresearch purposes only and would be kept confidential. At the beginning of thequestionnaire (as attached in Appendix 1), a definition of succession planning was givenin order for the respondents to better understand the meaning of succession planning andto avoid ambiguity.45