Cultural Globalization and Local Identity Preservation in Malaysia: A Time-Series ARDL Analysis of Structural Transformation and Cultural Change

Abstract

This study examines the effect of cultural globalization on the preservation of local identity in Malaysia with an Auto-Regressive Distributed-Lag (ARDL) modeling approach with annual time-series data. Using theories of globalization and cultural identity, the study develops a composite Local Identity Preservation Index (LIPI) and a Cultural Globalization Index (CGI) and empirically explores short run dynamics and long run equilibrium relationships. The results show a negative relationship between cultural globalization and local identity preservation which shows a statistical significance, in other words, the higher the exposure to economic globalization, digitalization, tourism and urban transformation, the more local cultural identity will be reduced. The findings also indicate that economic development has a positive impact on the preservation of identity, whereas urbanization, internet penetration and tourism are negatively impacting on the preservation of identity. The error correction term is significant, indicating the presence of a stable LR relationship, with a moderate speed of adjustment toward equilibrium. These findings indicate that cultural identity in Malaysia is an interplay of both globalization forces and the changes in structure within Malaysia. The study is a valuable addition to the literature as it brings empirical findings from Southeast Asian context and adds an economic, digital, and spatial aspect of globalization in the process of preservation that includes cultural identity.

Received: 2026-04-13 | Revised: 2026-06-02 | Accepted: 2026-08-12 | Published: 2026-08-16

Declarations

Ethics and Guidelines: Not applicable.

Consent to participate: Not applicable.

Consent to publish: The authors have provided consent to publish.

Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

Data availability statement: Data will be made available on reasonable request from the corresponding author.

Funding: This research received no external funding.

Clinical Trial Number: Not Applicable.

Declaration of using generative AI: During the preparation of this work the author(s) used ChatGPT in order to correct the grammatical errors. After using this tool/service, the author(s) reviewed and edited the content as needed and take full responsibility for the content of the published article.

Author Contributions: K.N.K.: Conceptualization, methodology, writing—original draft preparation, writing—review and editing. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.