Maisarah Ahmad

Adoption of web site and e‐commerce technology among Malaysian public companies

Purpose – This study examines the adoption rates of web site and e‐commerce technology by all 562 Malaysian public listed companies, as of March 2004, testing the proposition that the number having web sites would approach 100 percent, and that most companies serving end customers would also have e‐commerce systems.Design/methodology/approach – After identifying and testing company URLs for operability, contents of all operable sites were evaluated to determine whether they had incorporated e‐commerce systems for online transactions.Findings – Of the 562 companies, only 62 percent (351) were found to have operable web sites; and of 351, 96 percent (336) were solely informational, leaving only 4 percent (15) that were equipped for e‐commerce transactions.Research limitations/implications – Further research is needed on reasons and consequences for not adopting web site and e‐commerce technology, and on specific business contexts surrounding adoption decisions and related managerial challenges.Practical imp...

A Survey on Renewable Energy Development in Malaysia: Current Status, Problems and Prospects

Abstract Energy demand in Malaysia is increasing over seven per cent a year, while forty per cent of the energy is supplied from conventional fossil fuel. However, a number of social barriers have mired the social acceptance of renewable energy among the users. This study investigates the current status of renewable energy, problems and future outlook of renewable energy in Malaysia. A total of 200 respondents were surveyed from Klang Valley in Malaysia. Majority of the respondents use energy to generate electricity. Although some respondents reported using solar energy, there is lack of retail availability for solar energy. The findings show that limited information on renewable energy technologies, lack of awareness, and limited private sector engagement emerged as major barriers to sustainable renewable energy development. In addition, the respondents suggest for increasing policy support from the government to make information more accessible to mass users, provide economic incentives to investors and users, and promote small-community based renewable energy projects. The study suggests that the government begin small scale projects to build awareness on renewable energy, while academically, higher learning institutions include renewable energy syllabus in their academic curriculum. The study concluded that to have sustainable renewable energy development, government’s initiative, private sector engagement and users awareness must be given priority.

Measuring halal brand association (HalBA) for Islamic banks

Purpose The main purpose of this paper is to develop a reliable and valid scale for measuring halal brand association (HalBA) for Islamic banks. Brand association is a core dimension of brand equity that Islamic bank managers need to develop to maintain competitiveness. Using the process proposed by Churchill for developing measures of marketing constructs, an instrument to assess HalBA for Islamic bank is formulated. Design/methodology/approach The methodology consists of developing the scale based on a literature review and qualitative method. The proposed scale is then purified and validated through exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Findings Based on the EFA and CFA, the result reveals that HalBA for Islamic banks contains 15 attributes which can be categorized into three dimensions: Shari’ah-compliant association, God-consciousness association and corporate social responsibility association. Practical implications The scale developed could assist practitioners in further understanding the dimensions and measurement of halal bank association, particularly in Islamic banking institutions. Knowledge of the dimensions of HalBA that customers seek from an Islamic bank can help managers and marketers to design branding strategies that better meet the needs of consumers, thereby increasing their satisfaction and loyalty. Originality/value The concept of brand association has been explored primarily from a conventional marketing perspective. This study offers a new dimension of HalBA in the context of Islamic banks.

Baby Dreams: pricing for products and apparel

Subject area Marketing Management, Entrepreneurship. Study level/applicability This case meant for advanced undergraduate students, taking courses of marketing management that covers the topics related to pricing strategies. With regard to strategic marketing class, this case can be used to explain how pricing strategy plays significant role in attracting and retaining customers. Case overview This case teaches about the importance of understanding the marketing strategies pertaining to pricing. Nora the entrepreneur of Baby Dreams focusing on baby items was in a dilemma in deciding the appropriate pricing strategy for her business. She was in doubt whether her low-price strategy which she believed was appropriate for the low- and middle-income groups was the best strategy for her business. The drastic decrease in sales pushed her to think about the effectiveness of her pricing. All together, Nora owned three Baby Dreams’ outlets. However, due to poor sales, she had to shut down two outlets in 2013. For the last outlet, she had to take an immediate decision in terms of pricing, as the start-up money was depleting, and with no improvement, it was expected to be finished by May 2014. Expected learning outcomes Using this case, students will be able to have an intellectual openness in accepting different ways of finding a solution for a particular problem. This case illustrates the importance of understanding the marketing strategies pertaining to pricing. Moreover, it is also highlighted that, offering low price is not the panacea of sales decrease. It is also necessary for the small business’s survival to look at competitors’ pricing effort to come up with a better pricing policy. Supplementary materials Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.