PurposeThis study investigates the impact of environmental uncertainty and organizational ambidexterity on supply chain integration and its relationship between supply chain agility and organizational flexibility in the manufacturing firms.Design/methodology/approachThe data were collected from 526 managers in services and manufacturing industry in Kuala Lumpur. The partial least square (SmartPLS 3.0) tool was applied through the use of the structural equation modeling (SEM) technique.FindingsThe results revealed that a strong relationship exist between environmental uncertainty and supply chain integrations including customer, supplier and internal integration. Organizational ambidexterity has a significant relationship with supply chain integration. Supply chain integrations were shown to have a positive impact on the firm's supply chain agility and organizational flexibility.Originality/valueThe findings may assist to establish a set of key drivers for enhancing supply chain agility and organizational flexibility as a supply chain management initiative in the manufacturing and service industry.

This study aims to explore the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on tourists’ travel risk and management perceptions. Driven on the effect of the pandemic, we investigate tourists’ travel risk and management perceptions and its effect on society using a sample of 716 respondents. The data was collected through social media platforms using a representative sampling method and analyzed applying the PLS-SEM tool. The findings reveal that Covid-19 pandemic has greatly affected travel risk and management perceptions. Travel risk and management perception had a significant association with risk management, service delivery, transportation patterns, distribution channels, avoidance of overpopulated destinations, and hygiene and safety. The results also identified the mediating effect of travel risk and management perceptions. The finding of this study contributes to tourism crises and provides future research insights in the travel and tourism sector and response to change tourists’ travel risk and management perceptions in the post-covid recovery period.

Purpose The World Islamic Tourism Mart in Malaysia has been attracting Muslim tourists from all over the world to choose Malaysia as their Islamic tourism destination. This paper aims to implement the concept of the travel career ladder (TCL) with the main purpose of the antecedents of travel motivation toward Malaysia for Islamic tourism destination (MMITD). Design/methodology/approach The theoretical model was tested using the structural equation modeling technique with partial least squares. A self-administered questionnaire was designed, distributed and collected from 180 effective participants who had visited Malaysia. Findings The findings revealed that the Islamic compliance with self-esteem needs, the Islamic compliance with relationship needs and the Islamic compliance with physiological needs have significant effects on Malaysia My Islamic tourism destination. Research limitations/implications The scope of this research paper is limited to TCL including the Islamic compliance issues with self-fulfillment, self-esteem, relationship, safety and physiological needs. A small sample size was obtained with participants from the Muslim countries. A future study should be comprehensively conducted on larger and diverse sampling methods with participants from the Muslim and the non-Muslim major countries, as this paper particularly discusses the theoretical and managerial implications for the anticipated future studies. Originality/value The study yet attempts on the part of academicians in Malaysia, what travel motivational factors influence Islamic tourists to travel MMITD. Based on the previous literature and researcher’s experience, it is a new phenomenon and investigation on MMITD.

Purpose The medical tourism industry has become one of the most profitable industries around the world wherein most of the countries exploit every effort to attract medical tourists to take advantage of its medical care benefits. The purpose of this study is to explore the determinants of medical tourists’ perceived services and their satisfaction for medical care in hospitals. Design/methodology/approach The quantitative method was conducted to examine the three groups of foreign travellers such as medical tourists, expats and normative medial tourists’ perceived medical services quality and satisfaction. Data from a survey of 266 respondents were analyzed using the structural equation modelling technique. Findings The findings of this study provide evidence that hospital accessibility and interpersonal behaviour are the most critical constructs that influence medical tourists’ attributes. Additionally, medical costs and health-care technicality have a significant relationship with the perceived services of medical tourists. The study also demonstrated that medical tourists’ satisfaction highly attributed to their perceived services towards the quality of medical care they received and experienced in the hospitals. Practical implications The results have important implications for managerial considerations at hospitals. Hospital accessibility is a crucial dimension to be measured at hospitals when measuring service quality. Service providers need to be mindful that all aspects of medical services are essential and need to be delivered satisfactorily to ensure customer satisfaction. Patients’ perceived services and their satisfaction is a crucial bridge in determining the likelihood of future return among patients to the hospitals. Originality/value This study has managed to convincingly secure findings to provide useful information and understanding of the hospital accessibility and interpersonal manner of health-care professionals at hospitals in Malaysia. Particularly, when any hospital offers quality services, they must consider the reasonable medical expenses that can be affordable by the average people and update their medical equipment that are necessary for technical and diagnostic purposes. By ensuring these, they can attract the medical tourists.

Purpose The study aims to determine the impact of non-Muslim tourists’ perception of halal tourism products and services (PHTPS) on trip quality, trip value, satisfaction and word of mouth (WOM) towards halal tourism destination. Design/methodology/approach A total of 375 non-Muslim tourists were surveyed in Malaysia using partial least square technique. Findings The findings showed that PHTPS has a significant impact on all four dimensions. The strongest relationship was found between PHTPS and trip quality, followed by PHTPS–WOM, PHTPS–satisfaction and PHTPS–trip value. Originality/value This study provides new insights into the theory and practice of non-Muslim tourists’ PHTPS and WOM towards halal tourism destination. The findings are valuable to tourism operators, managers and marketers with the understanding and responsibility to develop halal tourism products and services from non-Muslim tourists’ insights.

Purpose Emerging interest in medical tourism products offers a lucrative market and opens doors for Malaysia in positioning itself as a Muslim-preferred halal medical care center point. In spite of the tremendous capability of this industry, the Muslim-friendly medical tourism practice is rationally new idea, with endeavors to clarify such tourism product is inadequate. This paper aims to investigate the promoting Muslim-friendly medical tourism market mechanism and its prospects and challenges. Design/methodology/approach As the purpose of this study is to investigate the perceptions of the Muslim patient’s inspiration towards Muslim-friendly medical tourism market mechanism in Malaysia. This study uses structural equation modeling (SEM) technique for data analysis. The target population for this research comprised Muslim medical tourists coming to Malaysia seeking Muslim-friendly medical tourism. A total sample size of 231 is gathered through non-probability sampling method during the period between July and December 2015. Findings The outcome confirms that Muslim tourist’s perceptions play a critical part in travel intention to Malaysia for Muslim-friendly medication. Along these lines, Malaysia needs to promote the success of such medical tourism endeavors with proper practice and services they offer to pull in more outside patients. Practical implications Malaysia is a country that has long been a stronghold for Muslim leisure visitors. Differences in general and spiritual values raise challenges to Muslim-friendly medical care services. A comprehensive research is required on the best way to advance and set up emerging Muslim-friendly medical tourism market mechanism. Originality/value Muslim-friendly medical tourism is a rising advertising discipline. It is confident that the findings could expand information on Muslim-friendly medical tourism service sector and improve providers’ capacity to take advantage of the developing business sector, offering quality medical care services and opportunities that suit the Muslim patients’ needs. In addition, it is essential to understand the most ideal approach to outline Muslim-friendly medical tourism market to make it more useful to various spiritual and religious accept.

Purpose This study aims to investigate the perceived role of the Islamic medical care practice of Muslim doctors in Malaysian Muslim-friendly private hospitals. Design/methodology/approach Data were collection through self-administered questionnaires voluntarily submitted by the respondents. The survey covered selected major Muslim-friendly private hospitals in the country in the states of Kedah, Johor, Penang, Selangor, Kelantan and Kuala Lumpur. The non-probability purposive sampling was used, as the respondents and locations of the survey areas were predetermined. Findings Five dimensions of the Muslim-friendly medical care practice were identified, namely, medical etiquettes, physical examination, proper cleansing process of blood and body fluids, proper handling and treatment of infectious diseases and doctors’ advice to Muslim patients. The findings also indicate that the scale development analysis produced excellent results which can be used for reproducible or repetitive medical care purposes and for integration facts and figures for inclusion into wider medical care policy and practices. Practical implications The results from the study can further develop Islamic medical care practices and enable medical service providers to upgrade their performances to an enviable strategic status. Originality/value Islamic medical care is a new mode of healthcare service market, as there are very few studies on this topic from the perspective of Muslim patients or no obvious facts are known. This study has first explored Muslim doctors’ perceived role in Islamic medical care practice in Malaysian Muslim-friendly private hospitals. This empirical study can immensely contribute to the further development of Islamic medical care practice for Muslim doctors in particular and for the Muslim-friendly hospital service marketing strategy in general.

Purpose This study aims to empirically examine a model of the halal logistic services, its impact on manufacturers’ trust and satisfaction. Design/methodology/approach This study was conducted through survey questionnaires after an extensive review of the literature. A total of 564 samples of the questionnaire were distributed to logistics management representatives of halal manufacturing companies in Malaysia. This survey was carried out to measure the respondents’ perception of halal manufacturers’ satisfaction with third-party logistic (3PL) service providers in Malaysia. The instruments/survey incorporate halal assurance services, halal service diversity and halal service procedure as the antecedents of halal manufacturers’ trust and satisfaction. Findings The findings indicate that halal assurance services and halal service procedure are positively associated with manufacturers’ trust and satisfaction, while halal service diversity is not associated with it. The study also shows that manufacturers’ attitude play a mediator role between the halal logistic service and manufacturers’ satisfaction. Originality/value The study provides useful information in understanding the importance of halal logistic services and more particularly aims at facilitating 3PL service providers to offer halal logistic services quality that suits the manufacturers’ needs.