Yusniza Kamarulzaman

Marketing Islamic banking products: Malaysian perspective

Purpose – The rapid growth of Islamic banking in Malaysia warrants banking institutions being more proactive and innovative in marketing their products. The purpose of this paper is to re‐evaluate the progress and achievements of Islamic banking in Malaysia, particularly in the area of sales and marketing of Islamic banking services.Design/methodology/approach – This paper adopts a comprehensive literature review from various published sources. All related references were discovered through electronic databases, journals and books in the area of the relevant literature in Islamic finance, banking and services marketing.Findings – The driving force for the growth of Islamic banking and financing products is the corporate clients, and not the Muslim individuals. In fact, the non‐Muslim individuals also use Islamic banking if they find that the service is good and meets their expectations. This paper shows evidence that the marketing activities of Islamic banking products is relatively ineffective compared t...

Religion, Markets, and Digital Media: Seeking Halal Food in the U.S.

This study explores the role that social media serves in mediating and connecting religious communities and markets through a netnographic study of the search for halal food in the U.S. We find that social media websites can serve as important tools for overcoming obstacles to finding and verifying halal food sources, including barriers of physical access, authenticity, and quality. At a macro level, social media platforms have the potential to moderate the relationship between religion, the market, and consumption in a number of important ways, such as providing a venue for dialogues related to standards of commitment and faithfulness, serving as a community-based arbiter of standards, supporting identity constructions, and helping to overcome the marginalization associated with minority populations.

UNCOVERING PSYCHOLOGICAL GRATIFICATIONS AFFECTING SOCIAL MEDIA UTILIZATION: A MULTIBLOCK HIERARCHICAL ANALYSIS

The purpose of this study is to examine internet users’ experience and gratifications of social media, which affect the utilization of the medium. The research model was developed in hierarchical multiblock, which consists of three key psychological components–personal, tension release, and social–that are derived from the Uses and Gratifications theoretical perspective. Data were collected through stratified probability sampling of 428 social media users using a web-based questionnaire. They were selected because they spend a significant amount of time on social media sites, at least on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Instagram. Based on hierarchical multiblock PLS analysis, the results confirmed that social media utilization is affected by three key component psychological factors. All of these factors play a significant part in influencing user attitude toward utilizing social media. The findings are believed to increase understanding, especially for user-experience designers (UXD) concerning venues that can be used for direct targeting in designing social media marketing. The implications and recommendations for future research are discussed.

Combating Halal Misconceptions in Malaysia: Review of Halal Online Information Media

Halal food is a concept governed by the Islamic law with the purpose of encouraging healthy lifestyle. The terms and regulations are derived from the holy Al-Quran, where it has been practice for centuries to count. Among Muslims, issues such as misconceptions, trust, and counterfeiting Halal logo are some of the worrying topics that are critical to be addressed. Non-Muslims, on the other hand, perceived halal as a religious concept rather than a health-related concern. Educating consumers is the best way to combat the misconceptions. Unfortunately, research reviewing the current status of halal conceptions and consumptions among Muslim and non-Muslims consumers are insufficient. This study will be bridging the gaps by reviewing the current status of halal online information media in Malaysia and explore the conception as well as the misconceptions held by both Muslims and non-Muslims regarding the halal food industry. Finally, it will investigate the usage of mobile application as a learning tool to educate and assist consumers’ understanding of halal concept.

Designing and Validating a Model for Measuring Innovation Capacity Construct

In today’s rapid changing and highly competitive business environment, innovation is broadly recognized as a powerful competitive weapon. Innovation is a dynamic process that needs continuous, evolving, and mastered management. Thus, companies need to monitor and measure their innovation capacity to manage the innovation process. Yet, there is lack of a psychometrically valid scale for innovation capacity construct in the current innovation literature. The purpose of this paper is to develop a reliable and valid scale of measurement for innovation capacity. To test its unidimensionality, reliability, and several components of validity, we used data collected from 175 small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Iran and performed a series of analyses. The reliability measures, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, and several components of validity tests strongly support a four-dimensional scale for measuring innovation capacity. The dimensions are knowledge and technology management, idea management, project development, and commercialization capabilities.

A framework of outsourcing relationship marketing: A focus on the Malaysian hotel industry

This study contributes to the body of knowledge by examining the antecedents of outsourcing relationship quality among the management of Malaysian hotels and their service providers. This study is important considering that the quality of relationship between client firms and their service providers adds positive image to the entire system and is crucial for the delivery of the benefits of outsourcing arrangement. Identifying the determinants of the outsourcing relationship quality is important due to its effect on outsourcing ventures. A firm should have a strong relationship with its service provider since a high relationship quality has been proven to provide positive impact on outsourcing. This study examines the effect of relational norms on the quality of relationship among hotel managements and their service providers. Hotel industry has been the focus of this study due to its significant contribution to the service sector as the largest contributor of the Malaysian economy.