Category: Journals

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the determinants that influence bank users’ acceptance for Islamic financial technology (FinTech) services by extending the technology acceptance model (TAM) in the Malaysian context.

Design/methodology/approach

The survey was conducted using convenience sampling. Moreover, 205 responses were gathered from users of the Islamic bank. On the same note, the literature on determinants of Islamic FinTech acceptance and TAM was reviewed as well in a bid to contribute to the factors that are instrumental in determining the acceptance of FinTech services.

Findings

Findings of the study reveal that Islamic FinTech’s services acceptance is determined by perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness and also by another variable, which is consumer innovativeness (CI). On the contrary other factors, self-efficacy and subjective norms are found not to be influential in determining Islamic FinTech’s acceptance by Islamic banking users.

Originality/value

TAM is extended in the context of Islamic FinTech. A new variable, namely, CI is tested using TAM. CI is yet to be tested, therefore, this paper will be a useful reference for the policymakers, academicians and future researchers.

Keywords: Malaysia, Acceptance, TAM, Islamic fintech

Abstract

Facebook usage among university students is increasing day by day, a reflection of which is evident through the amount of time these students spend on using social networking sites. This study examines the drivers that cause intensive Facebook usage among university students in Pakistan by using a modified framework. The data was collected using the questionnaire comprised of items related to escape, ease of use, information-seeking, social influence or subjective norm, social relationships, career opportunities, education, attitude, perceived behavior control, and intensive Facebook usage. The data was collected from 280 university students by using the convenience sampling approach. The Partial Least Square Structured Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) technique was applied to analyze the data. The findings show that social influence, social relationships, perceived behavior control, attitude, and information-seeking have a positive and significant impact on Facebook usage among students. The study concluded that individuals are more driven to use Facebook to make their social circle strong, learn new ideas, and use it for information-seeking. This study provides useful insights to the managers and academicians.

Abstract

This article explores the influence of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and three green triggers of environment (awareness, concern, and knowledge) on employee well-being and green behavior. The study engages the stimulus–organism–response model for testing the association between CSR and well-being of employees that leads to employee green behavior. Furthermore, social exchange theory has been utilized to describe the association between well-being and green behavior of employees. Data have been gathered through questionnaire from 509 employees working in guest-service hotels of Pakistan. Structural equation modeling has been used to test the hypotheses. Findings show that CSR, environmental concern, and knowledge have positive effect on employee well-being, whereas environmental awareness has positive but insignificant effect on employee well-being. Furthermore, environmental concern, knowledge, and well-being have a positive influence on green behavior, whereas CSR and environmental knowledge have a positive but insignificant effect. Moreover, well-being fully mediates the relationship between CSR and green behavior and between environmental awareness and green behavior of employees. However, a partial mediation was observed between environmental concern and green behavior. The findings also indicate that no mediation was found between environmental knowledge and employee green behavior. The findings suggest that the hotel managers should invest to improve employee’s awareness regarding green behavior by conducting environmental training for cultivating environmental knowledge and awareness. Moreover, CSR activities should be performed for attaining competitive edge and maintaining a balance between progress and sustainability of environment.

Abstract

Purpose

The role of insurance is a backbone for consumers to secure their future. It is important to know where to invest and what are the benefits. Therefore, for the Muslim segment, Islamic insurance system provides Riba (interest)-free environment where consumers invest their money and recover their losses according to sharia. This paper aims to examine the determinants that influence purchase intention of consumers toward Islamic insurance (Takaful) adoption in Pakistan with the help of the modified theory of planned behavior (TPB).

Design/methodology/approach

The authors added four specific variables related to Islamic sharia compliance in the conventional form of the TPB. The relationship among the variables is assessed by using partial least squares structural equation modeling, while the data are collected from 305 respondents.

Findings

The results suggest that attitude, subjective norm and perceived behavioral control are strong predictors of an Islamic insurance adoption in Pakistan. Moreover, factors such as compatibility, relative advantage and awareness have positive and significant impacts on takaful participation. A negative but insignificant relation is found between perceived risk and intention.

Practical implications

This paper provides insight for understanding the factors that lead to consumers’ purchase intention of Islamic insurance.

Originality/value

This paper makes a unique contribution to the literature with reference to Pakistan, being a pioneering attempt to investigate the factors of Islamic insurance adoption by modifying the TPB and applying more rigorous statistical techniques like confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and partial least square structural equation modeling.

Keywords: Takaful, Purchase intention, Theory of planned behaviour, Islamic insurance.

Abstract
Purpose – The earth needs to go green as it clarifies that humans should adopt a sustainable lifestyle that will
be friendly to the environment and society. The emerging stream of academic literature on “go green” adds a
new perspective to the deep-rooted conception of entrepreneurship. The objective of green entrepreneurship is
to follow the traditional concepts of entrepreneurship but also brings the additional potential for society and the
environment. The present paper is designed to study the impact of personality traits and university green
entrepreneurial support on green entrepreneurial intentions along with the moderating role of environmental
values.
Design/methodology/approach – The data are collected by using the survey method, and the five-point
Likert scale is used for this purpose. The statistical techniques applied to the dataset were confirmatory factor
analysis and partial least square structural equation modeling.
Findings – The results revealed that personality traits are positively and significantly associated with green
entrepreneurial intention, but risk-averse students depict insignificant results towards green entrepreneurial
intention. Also, university green entrepreneurial support results in positive green entrepreneurial intention.
Environmental values also strengthen the association.
Originality/value – Previously, researchers emphasized the entrepreneurial intentions for the sake of
improving the economy, decreasing unemployment and promoting small ventures, but none focused on the
green aspects of entrepreneurship. To date, we still lack knowledge regarding students’ green entrepreneurial
intentions and how personality traits and green support affect the intention. The focus of the present study is to
sustain nature and ecosystems through green entrepreneurship by providing directions and economic and
noneconomic gains for investors, entrepreneurs, students, universities and societies.
Keywords Green entrepreneurship, Environment, University green support, Higher education, Smart-PLS

Abstract

Our study investigates the relationship between technology innovation and human development in technologically advanced countries using data from quarterly observations from the last decade of the twentieth century to the first two decades of the twenty-first century. This objective of this study is to implement Quantile-on-Quantile regression (QQ) technique that as formulated by Sim and Zhou (J Bank Finance 55:1–8, 2015) and the renowned Granger-causality in quantiles as proposed by Troster (Econom Rev 37(8):850–866, 2018) examine the basic relationship between the given quantiles of technology innovation and their effects on the quantiles of human development. Therefore, the outcomes of this study explain the overall interdependence of technology innovation and affect the overall human development index. It is enumerated that the empirical results indicate that a significant positive relationship exists between technology innovation and human development in all selected technologically advanced countries, predominantly in both low and high tails. Moreover, the outcomes of Granger causality quantiles indicate a bi-directional fundamental relationship between these two variables in the dataset of all countries. The outcomes of the observations are extended to the recent findings on these two variables’ nexus and imply a differential impact on the technologically advanced countries. This causality guides us to offer some specific policy recommendations to each group of countries.

Abstract

Purpose

This study explores the service quality dimensions in Internet banking and their impact on e-customer’s satisfaction and e-customer’s loyalty. This study tries to inspect the structural association between Internet banking service quality, electronic customer satisfaction and electronic customer loyalty based on separate constructs.

Design/methodology/approach

In this present research, quantitative approach is applied. The data is gathered from 500 bank clients in Pakistan by using structured questionnaires, and the theoretical model is tested by partial least square structured equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Moreover, convergent validity and discriminant validity were assessed.

Findings

Results show that all the dimensions are found to have a positive and significant influence on customer satisfaction while customer’s satisfaction has a significant and positive impact on customer’s loyalty. Findings indicate that service quality plays a very important role in every society, as it has become the basis for how customers interpret online banking and, in the end, how it interacts and operates with online services.

Practical implications

This research adds up considerably to the literature of bank marketing, and it is also fruitful for the academicians since it demonstrates the way Internet banking service quality determinants predict e-satisfaction of clients which ultimately raises the e-loyalty of clients. This study is useful for those E-retailers and managers who want to grab e-retailing market.

Originality/value

This research suggests a model which ultimately enhances customer loyalty towards Internet banking service quality through customer satisfaction in Pakistan. It involves modified model of E-SERVQUAL (user friendliness, efficiency of websites, personal need, and site organization) which connects it to electronic customer satisfaction and electronic customer loyalty. Therefore, it will assist the Internet banking sector in building effective marketing tactics, establishing long lasting relationships with clients and acquiring the competitive edge in the market.

Keywords:
Internet banking service quality, Customer satisfaction, Customer loyalty, SERVQUAL

Abstract

Construction glitches have become serious issues for Malaysian construction projects. The construction industry is one of the industries driven by supply chains and affected by interconnected risks. Any disruption happening anywhere will halt the whole project or even other projects. However, massive literature is available to deal with various kinds of risks from the supply chain (SC) of the construction industry that have never been discussed before. This is an empirical investigation and the data was collected through a questionnaire distributed to the construction industry through systemic probability sampling. Final and purified data was analyzed with Structural Equation Modeling through Smart PLS. A total of three types of risks were identified from the literature, namely supply side risks (SR), process side risks (PR) and demand side risks (DR). It has been found that supply side risks and demand side risks have significant negative effects on supply chain performance (SCP) while process side risks also have negative effects on supply chain performance but not significant. This study will help managers to understand how supply chain risks (SCR) affect the construction industry and what type of risks they should be more aware of. This study covers only operational side risks while future research can be on other risks. Furthermore, various approaches can be proposed for mitigation, but there is also a need to verify these approaches for Malaysia.

Abstract

The study aims to analyze two objectives: first is to explore the non-linear relationship between tourism development, economic growth, urbanization, and environmental degradation, and also to analyze the threshold level of the contribution of tourism development on environmental degradation in top tourist arrival destinations. We applied the newly proposed econometric method panel smooth transition regression (PSTR) framework with two regimes on yearly panel data from 1995 to 2017. Findings suggest that the relationship between tourism development and environmental degradation is non-linear and regime dependent. Furthermore, the findings indicated that the relationship above the threshold level is negative and significant, while below the threshold, tourism development is positive and significant effect on environmental degradation. Tourism development and environmental degradation also exhibit the inverted U-shape relationship meaning that at a particular point, increase in tourism development increases in environmental degradation but after a particular point, increase in tourism development decreases the environmental degradation. The economic growth and urbanization also portray a non-linear and regime-dependent relationship with environmental degradation. The study assists policies and empirical information.

Abstract
As a pragmatist compliment to firms, intermediary regulatory bodies, regulatory and
law enforcement agencies, the purpose of this research article is to present an initial
framework for nurturing a corporate culture of disclosure and transparency, that
would fulfill the legal obligations towards stakeholders, while amicably addressing
ethical critics, and thus proactively averting the fomenting financial crisis.
This global descriptive review of corporate governance literature seeking to analyze
reform, by constructing a governance framework, that binds the board of directors
and management primarily with pro-delta-based performance incentives, mitigating
risk and agency cost, while strengthening the dividend policy, and utilization of
working capital, with provisional clawback deterrence to quell potential deviant
behavior. Cultivating and nurturing a corporate culture of disclosure and
transparency mandates board independence, to improve the firms’ performance, and
fulfill the fiduciary trust of the shareholders, while also considering mitigating debtladen risk, and fostering societal good.
The review constructs the Corporate Governance Disclosure and Transparency
Culture Ripple Effect Framework (CGDATCREF), under the patronage of the board
of directors, which conceptually should resonate throughout the organization, and
beyond captivating potential investors, customers, and admirers, while curbing
questionable ethical practices.
In retrospect of the evolutionary progress of corporate governance, the presented
framework will not be free from criticism, but rather provide avenues for enhanced
models, and empirical statistical inference, to evolve future robust models. The
framework could also be ported via simulation software application, to replicate real
Tianjin Daxue Xuebao (Ziran Kexue yu Gongcheng Jishu Ban)/
Journal of Tianjin University Science and Technology
ISSN (Online): 0493-2137
E-Publication: Online Open Access
Vol:54 Issue:08:2021
DOI 10.17605/OSF.IO/S2X4E
August 2021 | 495
corporate scenarios, thus aiding in calibrating and optimizing before decision
making.
Keywords
Agency theory, corporate culture, disclosure and transparency, risk mitigation, board
of directors, corporate governance, CGDTREF