Antecedents of online learning effectiveness and its impact on educational ethics:A comparative study between India and Malaysia

COVID-19 pandemic has forced the implementation of a new normal for all businesses leading to an increase in stress levels for many including educators and students. Ethics in education was questioned by professional bodies due to online exams. The objective of this study is to determine the antecedents of student online learning effectiveness and its impact on educational ethics. The study compares Malaysia and India since some Indian educational institutions had been implementing online teaching prior to the pandemic. Data was collected through a survey method. 571 questionnaires from students across Malaysia and India were analyzed using SPSS and PLS-SEM. It was found that physical, psychological, intellectual, and emotional attributes were significant in predicting learning effectiveness which in turn had an impact on educational ethics. Intellectual attributes were the most important predictor of learning effectiveness. The emotional and psychological attributes had a small impact on learning effectiveness. Furthermore, physical attributes had trivial effects on the learning effectiveness. A T-test comparing mean differences between the two countries revealed that there were no significant differences in learning effectiveness between students of both countries while educational ethics was more evident among Indian students as compared to Malaysian students. The key implication is the need for educational institutions and educators to develop pedagogies to stimulate students’ intellectual abilities during online teaching to preserve educational ethics. HEIs must support the students psychologically, emotionally and encourage themselves to keep physically active during the phase of online classes. Institutions must take ample steps to ensure that educational ethics is not affected as a result of the new normal failing which could prove detrimental in the long run for students and institutions. This will help to curb unethical practices during online examinations and mitigate academic dishonesty. Our findings regarding various attributes of online learning effectiveness add profoundly to literature and help to understand antecedents contributing to successful learning effectiveness which leads to positive educational ethics in both the countries

Increasing consumers’ hypermarket visit intention through cause-related marketing: a perspective from the theory of planned behaviour

Purpose: This study intends to discover factors affecting consumers’ intention to participate in cause-related marketing (CRM) and how CRM influences their intention to visit hypermarkets in Malaysia. Design/methodology/approach: Through a self-administered questionnaire and using a mall-intercept technique, a total of 460 samples were collected from consumers in Malaysia. Structural equation modelling was then used to analyse the data. Findings: The results show that three variables (perceived CSR image, consumer-company identification and perceived company-cause fit) out of four significantly predicted consumers’ attitude towards CRM. Also, two components (attitude and perceived behavioural control) out of three in the theory of planned behaviour were found to be significantly related to CRM participation intention. Lastly, CRM participation intention was found to influence hypermarket visit intention. Originality/value: The proposed theory of planned behaviour (TPB) was found to be applicable in predicting CRM participation intention and hypermarket visit intention. The findings showed that consumers are more likely to increase their intention to visit a hypermarket that adopts a CRM campaign, which led us to highlight the main implications for hypermarket management and new study areas in this field

Cause-related marketing: it's applicability in hypermarket context

The concept of cause-related marketing (CRM) was not sufficiently studied in the context of hypermarket. The objective of this study is to discover if CRM enhances customers’ patronage behaviour towards a hypermarket and whether the absence of CRM in a hypermarket initiates a switching behaviour among consumers. Therefore, five variables (attitude, CSR image, company-cause fit, education level and personal income) were examined for their influence on consumers’ patronage behaviour changes before and after the implementation of CRM. A total of 405 questionnaires were used for analysis. A paired-sample T-Test, one sample T-Test and multiple regression analyses were employed to analyse the research questions in this study. Results revealed that CRM implementation was able to produce two outcomes: customers’ patronage behaviour and customers’ switching behaviour. Also, factors such as attitude, CSR image and personal income were found to have different significant influences upon patronage behaviour increment across different hypermarkets

Stakeholder’s Perception on Malaysia’s Edu-Tourism Sustainability Performance

This study shows that Edu-Tourism is manageable by considering various sustainability indicators that are identified from the evaluation of international students’ satisfaction. Differ from past sustainable tourism researches which usually investigate the tourism supply side of stakeholders (economics, social and environmental), this study adds value to the sustainable tourism literature by examining the tourism demand side of stakeholders (tourist satisfaction). Generally, Malaysia Edu-Tourism is operating within “potentially sustainable” category, improvements are needed to achieve “sustainable” status. Six indicators (reputation of university, perceived faculty academic competence, student-student interactions, perceived quality of faculty communications, climate and study environment, information availability) are moderately performed. Best performer being perceived quality of electronic communications and student-admin interaction. Worst performer being social links and geographic proximity. A quantitative research approach was used in this study where questionnaires were distributed for data collection. The sample size of the study consisted of 264 international students of different public and private sector universities. Structural Equation Model using SMARTPLS was used to identify significant indicators and then descriptive analysis was performed to evaluate sustainability of Malaysia Edu-Tourism sector. The article concludes with a discussion of the research and implications of the study along with suggestions for future research

Does CSR image matter to hypermarket’s consumers in Malaysia? perspective from persuasion knowledge model

It is commonly accepted that positive corporate social responsibility (CSR) image brings desirable outcomes, for instance, brand loyalty, improved brand image, enhanced store image, as well as increased visit intention; suggesting there are various direct outcomes of CSR image. Underpinned by the Persuasion Knowledge Model (PKM), this paper proposes that these outcomes are presented in a sequential manner, where there is a core mechanism that relates CSR image to store image and brand awareness, and in turn associate with consumers’ visit intention. A quantitative research methodology has been used where a structured questionnaire was distributed to consumers in selected states in Malaysia using the mall intercept method. Structural equation modelling was applied to examine the proposed model. The discoveries of the current study offer the observed evidence for the correlation between perceived CSR image and hypermarket visit intention, mediated by overall store image and brand awareness. The study emphasises a prominent role of CSR schemes, bringing together the overall hypermarket store image and the hypermarket brand awareness, which will enable hypermarket management to further boost visit intention from consumers

Potential interactions between the pathways to diagnosis of HIV and other STIs and HIV self-testing: insights from a qualitative study of gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men in Singapore

Objectives: This study draws on qualitative insights on the barriers and facilitators to HIV testing, as well as perceptions of HIV self-testing (HIVST), to propose a framework to understand not only the benefits but also potential knock-on implications of introducing HIVST in the context of other STI testing. Methods: We conducted semistructured, in-depth interviews with 30 gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men aged 18 and 39 years old in Singapore. Interview topics included barriers and facilitators to HIV and other STI testing, as well as perceptions of HIVST. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, coded and analysed using thematic analysis. Results: For HIV testing, participants cited the perceived risk of acquiring, susceptibility to and symptoms of HIV as internal motivators, while social influence and accessibility of HIV testing services were external motivators. For STI testing, perceived symptoms and partner notification of STI were reported as internal and external motivators, respectively. Availability of bundle tests, starting a new relationship and instances of mandatory testing motivated both simultaneous HIV and other STI testing. The fear of a positive diagnosis and lack of confidentiality were cited as internal and external barriers to HIV testing, respectively, while low perceived severity of other STI and the cost of STI tests were cited as internal and external barriers to other STI testing, respectively. We identified pathways to HIV and other STI testing and discussed how the introduction of HIVST may reduce opportunities for other STI testing. Conclusions: The findings of this study suggest that introducing HIVST might weaken linkages to other STI testing if alternative strategies of promoting other STI testing are not simultaneously implemented. We recommend that future interventions address both the risks of HIV and other STI simultaneously, and that structural interventions promoting HIV and other STI preventions be balanced accordingly

Chemsex among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men in Singapore and the challenges ahead: a qualitative study

Background: Sexualised substance use, or 'chemsex' has been shown to be a major factor driving the syndemic of HIV/AIDS in communities of gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) around the world. However, there is a paucity of research on chemsex among GBMSM in Singapore due to punitive drug laws and the criminalisation of sexual behaviour between men. This qualitative descriptive study is the first to explore perceptions towards, motivators to engaging in, and the barriers to addressing the harms associated with chemsex among GBMSM in Singapore. Methods: We conducted 30 semi-structured in-depth interviews with self-identifying GBMSM between the ages of 18–39 in Singapore following a purposive sampling strategy. Interview topics included participants' perceptions of drug use among GBMSM in Singapore, perceptions towards chemsex, reasons for drug use and chemsex, and recommendations to address the harms associated with chemsex in Singapore. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, coded, and analysed using thematic analysis. Results: Participants reported that it was common to encounter chemsex among GBMSM in Singapore as it could be easily accessed or initiated using social networking phone apps. Enhancement and prolongation of sexual experiences, fear of rejection from sexual partners and peers, and its use as a means of coping with societal rejection were three main reasons cited for engaging in chemsex. The impact of punitive drug laws on disclosure and stigmatisation of GBMSM who use drugs were reported to be key barriers towards addressing chemsex. Participants suggested using gay-specific commercial venues as avenues for awareness and educational campaigns, and social media to reach out to younger GBMSM. Conclusions: This study highlights the complexities behind chemsex use among GBMSM in Singapore, and the range of individual to institutional factors to be addressed. We recommend that community-based organisations and policy-makers find ways to destigmatise discussion of chemsex and provide safe spaces to seek help for drug use

Role of store image and cause-related marketing in hypermarket visit intention

As the number of hypermarket outlets in Malaysia increase substantially each year, they become more sophisticated in their marketing strategies and more competitive in their products quality, price and services, resulting in an intense competition to attract patrons. Hence, apart from possessing strong store image, this study addresses the issue of high competitiveness by looking at how hypermarkets may draw more consumers to them by involving Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) aspects as part of their marketing strategy. Cause-Related Marketing (CRM) is a type of CSR technique that allows companies to boost sales while simultaneously contribute to a worthy cause. By drawing on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and the Stimulus- Organism-Response (S-O-R) model, this study follows a positivist research paradigm which proposes a conceptual framework that include store image factors and CRM factors to understand their relative influence on visit intention. Questionnaires were distributed to Malaysian consumers using a mall-interception technique throughout the states of Selangor, Johor and the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya. A total of 460 consumers completed the questionnaire. In this study, two statistical software were used to analyze the data collected, namely: i) Statistical Package for the Social Science Window software (SPSS) and ii) Structural Equation Model (SEM) using SmartPLS 3.2.3. The outcome of this study revealed that i) respondents had significant intention to participate in the cause of “supporting underprivileged individuals”, ii) all store image factors had a positive direct relationship with overall store image which in turn had a significant relationship with hypermarket visit intention, iii) CRM factors (i.e. consumer-company identification, perceived CSR image and perceived company-cause fit) were related to consumers’ attitude towards CRM, iv) attitude and perceived behavioural control were positively significant towards CRM participation intention, and lastly, v) CRM participation intention was positively associated with hypermarket visit intention and this leads to a significant relationship with hypermarket patronage behavior. The study extends the S-O-R model to the context of hypermarket and enhances the study of store image. Besides that, it extends the TPB model by adding antecedents to attitude to assess their influence on CRM participation intention and hypermarket visit intention. This study indeed found that CRM paired with a good store image contributed to a higher increase of hypermarket visit intention compared to just having a strong store image alone. On the practical side, hypermarket managements could use CRM as a differentiation strategy to attract more consumers to their hypermarkets. Furthermore, hypermarket managers should consider factors such as consumer-company identification, perceived CSR image and perceived company-cause fit when designing a CRM campaign

Aumentando a intenção de visita a hipermercados pelos consumidores por meio do marketing relacionado a causas: uma perspectiva da teoria do comportamento planejado

Objetivo – Este estudo pretende abranger os fatores que afetam a intenção dos consumidores de participar de um marketing relacionado a uma causa (MRC) e como o MRC influencia sua intenção de visitar os hipermercados na Malásia. Metodologia – Por meio de um questionário respondido pelo próprio entrevistado e utilizando uma técnica de interceptação no local de compra, foi coletado um total de 460 amostras de consumidores da Malásia. O Modelo de Equação Estrutural foi então utilizado para analisar os dados. Resultados – Os resultados mostram que três variáveis (imagem percebida da RSC, identificação entre consumidor-empresa e adequação percebida da empresa-causa) de quatro previram significativamente a atitude dos consumidores em relação ao MRC. Verificou-se também que dois componentes (atitude e controle comportamental percebido) de três na teoria do comportamento planejado estavam significativamente relacionados à intenção de participar do MRC. Por fim, descobriu-se que a intenção de participar do MRC influencia a intenção de visitar o hipermercado. Contribuições – A teoria proposta do comportamento planejado (TCP) foi considerada aplicável na previsão da intenção de participar do MRC e da intenção de visitar o hipermercado. Isso mostra que os consumidores são mais propensos a aumentar a intenção de visitar um hipermercado que adota uma campanha de MRC, o que nos leva a destacar as principais implicações para a gestão do hipermercado e novas áreas de estudo nesse campo

Wpływ interakcji pomiędzy krajem produkcji a świadomością marki na intencję zakupu produktu o niskim stopniu zaangażowania przez młodych dorosłych w Malezji

This study aims to examine the interaction effect of country of manufacture and brand awareness, packaging and price impact on the purchase intention of toothpaste among young adults in Malaysia. As previous studies show, the country of origin should not be taken as a single clue, as it exaggerates the country of origin effect. This study evaluates the effect of the country of origin effect on the low-involvement good (toothpaste). The Cue Utilization Theory was used to explain how the consumer uses product cues to rate a product before making a purchase decision. Study data are analysed using SmartPLS. The results of this study showed that all variables influence consumer purchase intention for toothpaste. IPMA analysis showed that the interaction effect of the country of manufacture and brand awareness are important factors.Celem niniejszego opracowania jest zbadanie wpływu interakcji pomiędzy krajem produkcji a świadomością marki, opakowaniem i ceną na intencję zakupu pasty do zębów wśród młodych dorosłych w Malezji. Jak pokazują wcześniejsze badania, kraj pochodzenia nie powinien być traktowany jako pojedyncza wskazówka, ponieważ wyolbrzymia on efekt kraju pochodzenia. Niniejsze badanie ocenia wpływ efektu kraju pochodzenia na dobro o niskim stopniu zaangażowania (pastę do zębów). Teoria Wykorzystania Wskazówek została wykorzystana do wyjaśnienia, w jaki sposób konsument wykorzystuje wskazówki dotyczące produktu do oceny produktu przed podjęciem decyzji o zakupie. Dane z badania analizowane są za pomocą programu SmartPLS. Wyniki badania wykazały, że wszystkie zmienne wpływają na intencję zakupu pasty do zębów przez konsumenta. Analiza IPMA wykazała, że efekt interakcji kraju produkcji i świadomości marki są istotnymi czynnikami