Enhancing Human Resource and Marketing Management Practices at Awesam Malang: A Community Engagement Approach for MSME Sustainability

Abstract

This community engagement project aimed to strengthen human resource and marketing management practices at Awesam Malang, a growing micro-enterprise in the retail apparel industry specializing in plain t-shirts, screen printing, embroidery, and Direct to Film (DTF) printing. Located strategically in Malang, East Java, Awesam operates seven branches and serves a diverse customer base, including students, local communities, and online consumers. Despite its business expansion, Awesam faced several challenges such as inefficient HR practices, lack of structured performance evaluation, limited employee training, and suboptimal utilization of digital marketing platforms. To address these issues, the community service team implemented a structured intervention focusing on the improvement of five key management areas: human resource planning, employee development, compensation strategies, operational marketing, and digital branding. The program involved field observations, interviews with business owners, and analysis of internal processes. Recommendations were provided through participatory training sessions and digital promotional strategy design. As a result, the business showed improvements in HR alignment, customer engagement, and social media presence. This program demonstrates that targeted management interventions can significantly enhance the performance and sustainability of MSMEs in the creative industry sector.As a result, the business experienced a 46% increase in Instagram followers, a 68% rise in TikTok engagement, and a 25% boost in weekly sales following a flash promotion campaign.