This study empirically investigates the mediating effect of brand satisfaction on the relationship between brand personality and brand loyalty among Malaysian customers toward local automobile brands (Proton and Perodua). Four hypotheses were developed to test hypothesizing relationships between brand personality and brand satisfaction on brand loyalty. The data were collected from consumers of automobile brands in north Malaysia peninsula from three states which were Kedah, Penanag, and Perlis. This study applies partial least squares to a sample of 458 customers to test hypothesized relationships. The findings indicate that brand personality and brand satisfaction appear to have a positive and significant relationship with brand loyalty. Moreover, brand satisfaction was found to be a mediator in the relationship between brand personality and brand loyalty. The results are compared with earlier findings and implications for further research are discussed.

The aim of this study is to establish a framework for measuring and managing credit risk for fifteen leasing companies in Iran. An analysis on the influence of internal factors on credit performance will then be performed. This will enable a leasing industry to progress towards its goals and objectives in the most direct and effective way. Credit risk consists of probability of non-return. This may be in the form of bankruptcy or a decrease in financial and credit situation of the lessee. We can assume a correlated market and credit risk. The variables are extracted from the Central Bank of Kanoon Leasing Association in Iran. Numerical analysis reveals that lessee credit risk can have a substantial impact on a lease term structure.

Today, Coronavirus is a pandemic that has spread worldwide and causes many problems, including socio economic problems in society. Therefore, e-marketing has an essential function in acquiring new customers, generating leads, and generating revenue for your business by reaching customers interested in your products and services. A digital platform such as web marketing is online marketing to prospective leads and high-value consumers. Thus, the present study examined the usage of e-marketing as a model for buying decisions moderated by perceived risk during the covid-19 pandemic in Aceh Province, Indonesia. This quantitative study involved 325 respondents and was collected through a survey by filling out the questionnaires. Also, e-marketing is measured by perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use as exogenous variables. Therefore, perceived risk is a mediating variable, and the consumer buying decision is an endogenous variable. The data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modelling – Analysis of Moments Structure (SEM-AMOS). The results showed that e-marketing (perceived usefulness and ease of use) positively and significantly affects consumer buying decisions. This study also applied the Sobel test and indicated that perceived risk mediates perceived usefulness and ease toward consumer buying decisions. In conclusion, this study has successfully examined the relationship between e-marketing via perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use. Also, it proves that perceived risk plays a mediating role (partial mediator) in the relationship of perceived usefulness and ease of use on consumer buying decisions. This tested model has become a formulation, especially in marketing science, where it turns out that during the covid-19 pandemic, the buying decision model in the marketplace is a function of the perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use of consumers towards the marketplace, as well as the perceived risk of the marketplace as a partial mediator. So that marketplace manufacturers can drive consumer buying decisions by consumers by creating a strengthening of perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use for consumers, thereby affecting consumers' perceived risk and impacting their buying decisions.

Nowadays, transactions on e-commerce platforms (e-payment) utilizing a credit card are popular. Using credit cards for electronic purchases over the Internet is much different from offline purchases in traditional stores; only online transactions do not include either physical credit card or a signature. The e-payment has become a common mode of payment for online transactions made. It is an electronic billing system that gives clients the ability to make payments using the Internet. The objective of this paper was to analyze the associations among continuance intention e-payment, effort expectancy, facilitating conditions, performance expectancy, social influence, and actual usage of e-payment. The data was tested empirically on data collected from 667 Generation Z e-payment users in Malaysia. The results found that facilitating conditions, performance expectancy, and social influence impacted the actual usage of e-payment. Surprisingly, effort expectancy was not significantly associated with the actual e-payment usage. The findings of this study have several implications for managers and point the way towards future research. No prior empirical study has investigated the role of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology model on e-payment usage among Generation Z in Malaysia to the best of the authors’ knowledge. These results provide valuable contributions that can help decision-makers formulate or adjust their strategies associated with e-payments.

This study aims to analyze the effect of e-purchasing implementation on the reduction of fraud in government procurements in Indonesia. This study also analyzes the role of market access in mediating the effect of e-purchasing implementation on government procurement fraud. The study was conducted in all Procurement Service Units (ULP) of cities and districts in Indonesia. The questionnaires were sent electronically to 520 ULPs, but only 120 respondents could be used in this study. In analyzing data, the Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) was used with the support of the program Partial Least Square (WarpPLS 7.0) to examine the relationship between variables studied. The results show that the implementation of e-purchasing directly reduces the level of fraud in government procurements in Indonesia. Other findings of the study also indicate that the implementation of e-purchasing expands market access. The rise of market access in implementing e-purchasing will affect the level of frauds relating to procurement practices in the Indonesian government.

The psychometric properties of the Absorptive capacity construct have been assessed in this study in the context of Pakistan. A total of 201 bank managers were included in the survey. Data analysis using the Smart PLC 3.0 revealed that the scale has satisfactory level of internal consistency reliability, conversion validity and discriminant validity. The findings refer to the fact that the ACAP construct could be responsively used in measuring the absorptive capacity in the banking sector of Pakistan.

Deep learning facilitates development of generic skills pertinent to prepare graduates for employment. Accounting education with syllabuses burdened with accounting standards to be memorized and regurgitated in examinations does little to promote deep learning. This study conducted a questionnaire survey to examine the extent to which accounting undergraduates at a public university in Malaysia adopt deep learning. This study demonstrates that deep learning is not readily attainable. Surface learning, which promotes rote memorization, constitutes a stepping stone towards deep learning. Having a preference or thirst for meanings is also pertinent to motivate undergraduates to move from rote memorization to seek meanings and thus deep learning. Female undergraduates have been found to be more inclined to adopt deep learning. Much is still to be learned on how best to promote deep learning as learning is a life-long process where everyday life experiences, both on and off-campus, facilitate learning and development.

This study is meant to examine the relationships of several antecedents of actual purchase of herbal product in Malaysia. Actual purchase is considered to have a vital link to a business success. The study identified eight antecedents of consumer actual purchase such as intention, attitude, social influence, product safety and culture belief. A total of 473 respondents (about 82%) completed and returned the questionnaire. A seven point Likert scale was used to measure responses. The data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares (PLS) path modeling. The path coefficient results supported the direct influence of intention, attitude, social influence and product safety on actual buying. Moreover, the findings reveal that attitude, social influence, product safety, and culture belief also influenced buying intention.

In highly competitive markets, building brand equity has become one of the first priorities for many organizations as it brings several benefits and reputation for them. Past researches have acknowledged that consumers look for brands which provide them with differential values through innovative product and service features. However, despite the importance of product innovation in determining an organization’s success, very limited studies have intended to examine its effect on brand equity. In the present study, we aim to examine the effect of product innovation on brand equity in Malaysian automotive market. The data were collected from 287 passenger cars owners through self-administered questionnaire at several shopping malls in northern Malaysia. The findings revealed that product innovation had significant positive effect on overall brand equity and its dimensions namely; brand awareness, brand loyalty, brand image, and brand leadership. Based on the results of this study, several implications are discussed to enlighten our knowledge on important innovation activities that could develop favorable brand equity. Finally, limitations and future research suggestions are highlighted to gain better insights on brand equity development.

The purpose of this study is to provide updated information and facts of the Malaysian audit market concentration and auditor workload. The global auditing services market is presently dominated by a group of four audit firms which known as Big 4; namely Deloitte, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, Ernst & Young and KPMG. The audit industry in Malaysia offers several exemptions, as observed that two of non-big 4 audit firms succeeded to make their place into the Malaysian top 4. The study examined the audit firms share based on the number of audits and included all Malaysian public listed companies from 2012 to 2016.The findings indicate that the Malaysian audit market falls into the category of loose oligopoly and dominated by 8 audit firms. It is noted that the market share of the Big 4 in Malaysia have been reduced over a five-year period 2012-2016, and these firms mainly focusing more on large or more established clients. The examination related to auditor workload suggests that there is a decreasing trend in the workload of individual audit partners; on average the Big 4 firms staffing ratio is lower as compared with non-big 4 which may indicate that Big 4 partners have less workload. The study is useful for policy makers and regulators to better analyze the audit market concentration and workload in Malaysia.