Legal Literacy in Human Resource Practice: A Psychometric Validation Study in Malaysia's Manufacturing Industry
Author : Saiful Azizi Ismail, Abdul Halim Abdul Majid, Wan Najwa Arifah W. Ahmad
Abstract : The changing employment landscape in Malaysia, influenced by globalisation, technological advancement, and developments in employment law, requires Human Resource (HR) practitioners to possess strong legal literacy. Although legal literacy is essential in ensuring compliance, workplace justice, and the protection of the rights of both employees and employers, there remains a lack of instruments specifically developed to measure legal literacy among HR practitioners in Malaysia. Therefore, this study aims to develop and validate a Legal Literacy instrument among HR practitioners, particularly in the manufacturing industry. This study employed both qualitative and quantitative approaches through expert interviews, content validation using the Content Validity Index (CVI), data screening, Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). Quantitative data were obtained from 226 HR practitioners in the manufacturing industry through an online questionnaire. The findings produced an instrument consisting of three main components, namely Legal Awareness, Legal Attitude, and Legal Knowledge. The Legal Attitude component formed two new sub-dimensions, namely Ethics and Compliance Integrity, and Proactive Compliance Practices, while the Legal Knowledge component formed three new sub-dimensions, namely Knowledge of Rights and Protection, Knowledge of the Limits of Employer Authority, and Knowledge of Benefits and Terms of Employment. This study makes a significant contribution to the development of a new valid and reliable instrument for assessing the legal literacy of HR practitioners, while supporting more compliant, ethical, and justice-oriented HR practices in the workplace.
Keywords : Legal Literacy, HR Practitioners, Manufacturing Industry, Instrument Development, Legal Compliance.
Conference Name : International Conference on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Human Resources (ICDEIHR-26)
Conference Place : Tokyo, Japan
Conference Date : 4th Aug 2026
