Purpose This study aims to align the theoretical foundations of Halal tourism to conventional tourism paradigms. It investigates Muslim tourists’ perception of value in the context of tourist destinations in Malaysia. Design/methodology/approach The partial least square structural equation modelling uses SMART–PLS for 170 Muslim tourists and uses a positive research approach with a quantitative basis of enquiry. Six variables of Muslim tourist perceived value, such as price, social, emotion and quality, and Halal physical and nonphysical attributes are examined. In addition, this study also examines the mediating effect of destination experience in Malaysia’s environment (i.e. infrastructure, atmosphere and culture) and the relationship between Muslim tourist perceived value and tourist satisfaction. Findings Overall, the results indicate that price and social variables had no impact on tourist satisfaction, whereas other variables such as quality, emotion and Halal physical and nonphysical attributes had a direct impact on tourist satisfaction especially with the mediating effect of destination experience. Practical implications The effects of cognitive, affective and Islamic (i.e. Halal) values on tourist satisfaction were examined as also the importance of destination experience on tourist satisfaction. Originality/value This study also found that destination experience influenced tourist satisfaction significantly.

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Purpose This study aims to examine hospital image, perceived medical quality, relationship marketing and word-of-mouth as the determinants of patients’ intent to revisit private hospitals in Penang, based on the theory of planned behaviour. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative study comprising a self-administered questionnaire was distributed to domestic and international patients at the airport, private hospitals and hotels located in Penang. The partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) approach was used to analyse and test the research hypotheses. Findings The results show that cognitive components (i.e. hospital image and perceived medical quality) do not have any significant influence on patients’ intent to revisit, while affective components (i.e. relationship marketing) and behavioural components (i.e. word-of-mouth) are important in increasing patients’ intent to revisit private hospitals in Penang, Malaysia. Trust has no significant mediating effect between predictor variables and patients’ intent to revisit, but it has significant association with affective and behavioural components. Practical implications The findings provide insights to medical marketing teams in promoting and increasing patients’ intent to revisit their respective hospitals and for the governments to sustain and enhance medical tourism in their countries. Originality/value This study is one of the few studies that looks at the relationship between hospital image, perceived medical quality, relationship marketing, word-of-mouth and patients’ intent to revisit private hospitals in Penang, Malaysia. This study also explored the direct and indirect effects of trust on patients’ intent to revisit that was still limited.

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the implication of top executives’ number of years of experience (tenure) on corporate risk-taking behaviour and corporate performance in Malaysian corporations.Design/methodology/approachTo test the hypothesis efficiently, the authors have extracted the data from Bloomberg for 788 listed companies of the Malaysian Stock Exchange. The methodology entails ordinary least squares regressions, quantile regression and dynamic system generalized method of moments model.FindingsFirst, the authors show that executive management tenure has a significant negative relationship with corporate risk-taking. It means that the long-tenured executives tend to undertake less risky strategies and decisions. Second, this study reveals that the longer executive management tenure has a positive relationship with corporate performance. Third, the moderating effect of corporate risk-taking with executive tenure (Tenure dummy*Risk) has a negative relationship with the corporate performance by 1%.Practical implicationsIt implies that the appointment of experienced executive management contributes towards corporate performance directly. However, experienced management trends take less risk, which eventually results in mitigating the corporate performance. On that basis, the findings are significant in highlighting the usefulness of executive leadership term and offers insights to academics, practitioners and policymakers.Originality/valueThis paper is novel since it is unique in evaluating the executive tenure and the preferences to handle risk strategies and how that impact the firm performance.

Purpose Few studies exist which delve into the possible factors that prevent ethically minded consumers from translating their ethical perceptions into ethical purchase intention (EPI). Thus, this study aims to explore how consumers assess corporate social responsibility (CSR) based on several influencing factors toward EPI, with CSR skepticism (SKP) as a moderator. Design/methodology/approach This cross-sectional study is conducted through a self-administered questionnaire and uses a positive research approach with a quantitative basis of enquiry. The partial least squares–structural equation modeling- model is used to examine the causal relationship between seven independent variables of CSR assessment (i.e. CSR awareness, knowledge of CSR position of company, cause importance, price consciousness, CSR image of company, credibility of CSR efforts and peer influence) with EPI. In addition, this study also examines the moderating effect of SKP in the relationship. Findings The findings show that CSR assessment factors are important to convert mere purchase criteria into EPI and SKP does play a significant role in weakening the relationship. Originality/value This study examines the moderating effect of CSR skepticism, the exploration of which still remains very limited in current literature.

Manuscript type: Research paperResearch aims: This study aims to examine the underlying psychological and sociological factors that drive excess trading in the Malaysian stock market during a global health crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Design/Methodology/Approach: A self-administered online questionnaire was collected from 271 individual investors to examine the association between big-five personality traits and trading frequency. Demographic information and investment behaviours of investors were also included in the study. The multinomial logit regression model was used to test the research hypotheses. Research findings: Findings show that personality traits such as openness to experience and agreeableness have a significant influence on trading frequency. Demographic factors and investment behaviours such as gender, household income level, years of investment experience and type of investor all have a significant positive relationship with trading frequency. Theoretical contribution/Originality: This study contributes to the current investor behaviour literature in Malaysia, which remains to be very limited, especially during a global health crisis. The study indicates that personality traits, demographic, socio-economic factors, and investment behaviours affect the trading frequency of Malaysian. Practitioner/Policy implication: This study offers insights for financial institutions and individual investors on the type of personality traits, demographic, socio-economic factors, and investment behaviours that drive excess trading during a global health crisis. The findings provide important contributions to avoid serious mistakes in investment analysis and trading profitable investment strategies, thus improving individual and team performance. Research limitation/Implications: Some results are not significant and may be limited due to the small sample size used in this study. Future research could recruit more retail investors to confirm the significance level of those variables. Besides, the study can be conducted after the COVID-19 pandemic to explore whether there is any significant difference in the variables during and after the global health crisis.

Purpose This study aims to examine the possible factors affecting Malaysians’ intention to adopt new technology such as home health-care robots (HHRs) based on the extended unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) model. The variable price, awareness and alternative attractiveness were added since HHRs is a new technology in Malaysia. Design/methodology/approach This study collected the self-administered questionnaire from 316 respondents who are currently taking care of elderly or disabled people at home. The UTAUT variables, price and awareness were the predictors, and the intention to adopt HHRs was the independent variable, with alternative attractiveness as the moderator. The partial least squares structural equation modeling was used for analysis of the measurement model and the structural model of this study. Findings The results show that performance expectancy, social influence, facilitating conditions, price and awareness significantly and positively affect Malaysians’ intention to adopt HHRs. Alternative attractiveness moderates the relationship between price and intention to adopt HHRs. Research limitations/implications The findings provide insights to marketers, managers and policymakers in identifying the right strategies to promote HHRs and thus, solving the problem of scarcity in caretakers for elderly and disabled people. Originality/value This study adds value to the current literature by integrating price and awareness constructs with the UTAUT model. This study also examines the moderating effect of alternative attractiveness on the intention to adopt HHRs, which is still limited but significant for developing nations.

PurposeThis study aims to understand the drivers that help working adults to be better prepared for retirement, by examining the relationship between financial literacy (FL), financial attitude (FA), financial well-being (FWB), financial behavior (FB) and retirement preparation (RP). RP includes multidimensional measures, which are retirement confidence, retirement planning, long-term financial planning and private retirement schemes (PRS) participation.Design/methodology/approachThis was a quantitative study adopting non-probability sampling with self-administered questionnaire distributed to all working adults. Descriptive analysis was used to examine the 294 useable data, and the multiple logistic regression analysis was adopted for hypothesis testing.FindingsThe empirical results show that FB is positively associated with RP and then followed by FWB on retirement confidence. Although insignificant influence is found on FL and FA, better FL and FA will still improve individuals' RP.Research limitations/implicationsThe study provides insights to working adults that practicing positive FB and good FWB will improve RP. Besides, for financial institutions, income level is the main determinant for consumers to participate in PRS; for policy makers, to incorporate financial attributes knowledge as part of the school curriculum since early school years.Originality/valueThis study is one of the few studies in Malaysia that explored FL, FA, FB and FWB on retirement planning, respectively.