Customer purchasing decision: an empirical study among Malaysian hypermarket shoppers / Mohd Najmie Osman...[et al.]

A report by Malaysian Retail Association stated that the estimation on Malaysia Retail Industry Quarterly Growth Rate 2017 was 1.5 % to 5.5% and at the average whole year by 3.9%. In Malaysia, the first hypermarket was Makro Cash & Carry outlet, a company owned by HSV Holding from the Netherland in 1993. This was followed by other hypermarkets such as Carrefour, Giant, Tesco, AEON Big and Mydin. The objective of the research was to identify the variables that would aid in developing better understanding of the dynamics hypermarket customer purchasing decision. Location, price, promotion, and variety of products represent the independent variables. 100 questionnaires were distributed to respondents that shopped at a particular hypermarket by using purposive sampling method. The data were statistically analyzed for reliability, correlation and multiple regressions. Based on the findings, it was discovered that price, promotion and variety of products have direct influence on customer purchasing decision. The results would help the industry in improving their action by emphasizing on the three independent variables in managing the complex issues of hypermarket customer purchasing decision. In conclusion, this study was carried out to gain a better understanding of the factors that influence customers in the process of making their purchasing decision at hypermarket

Globalization and its Effect on World Poverty and Inequality

James D. Wolfensohn who is the former World Bank President stated that poverty amid plenty is the world’s greatest challenge until now. In 1996, United Nation General Assembly came to terms that eradicating poverty is an ethical, political, social and economic imperative of humankind. International development, trade organizations, and financial, as well as practitioners and academics in this field confirmed to this statement (World Bank, 2001) In a world of 7 billion people, 80 percent live on less than $10 per day and 3 billion people, about half of the world, live on less than$2.50 a day. About 5 percent of global income was generated by the poorest 40 percent of the world’s population, while the wealthiest 20 percent of the population generates 75 percent of world income (Shah, 2013). The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF, 2011) estimates that poverty is the cause of daily mortality for 22,000 children ages five and younger in 2009. Thus, in a calendar year, more than eight million children do not progress past the age of five years. Poverty literally has two central meanings. The first refers to an absolute standard of living which is reflected in satisfying the minimum basic needs required for survival. The second is relative poverty reflected in the income gap between the rich and the poor, which often is measured by economists in the form of artificial currency called “purchasing power disparity dollars’. In the world of globalization and without boundaries, one would wonder how in certain parts of the world, poverty is still a major issue. Why is the standard of living in certain countries far better than the others and why is a large part of the world poor? Typically defined as the process by which different countries become more closely integrated through international technology transfers, trade liberalization, and greater mobility of information and capital, whether globalization helps or hurts the world’s poverty level is a constant debate

Determinants of customer relationship as mediating effect on service quality and customer loyalty: a case study Takaful Ikhlas / Azim Izzuddin Muhamad...[et al.]

Malaysian Takaful industry has continued its healthy growth and it plays an important socioeconomic role in the country. In current global economy, service providers are competing to develop and retain customers through increased satisfaction and loyalty. Thus, this study used five dimensions of service quality to develop theoretical understanding about customer satisfaction and loyalty among Malaysian Takaful customers. The population of this study was customers who had subscribed to the Takaful products and services. The study had a sample of 326 respondents. The hypotheses were analyzed using Structual Equation Model (SEM) along with Partial Least Square (PLS) approach. The findings of this analysis indicated that four of five service quality dimensions (tangible, assurance, reliability and responsiveness) had positively influenced customer satisfaction and led to loyalty. In mediating effect, there was positive effect between customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. Therefore, this study will contribute to existing literature for both theoretical and managerial approaches to enhance understanding regarding customer retention, customer relationship management and setting of Takaful Industry

Using e-wallet for business process development: challenges and prospects in Malaysia

Purpose – This study aims to explore the challenges and prospects of using e-wallets in Malaysia, and what it means for businesses and customers. Suggested here are strategies to leverage the strengths and opportunities as well as overcome the weaknesses and threats. Suggested here are strategies to leverage the strengths and opportunities as well as overcome the weaknesses and threats. Design/methodology/approach – This study analyses the e-wallet phenomenon using a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis to assess Malaysian business development. It is supported with findings from the literature and secondary data. The relevant secondary data were collected from Bank Negara Malaysia and the World Bank. Findings – This study shows that e-wallets in Malaysia have still not achieved their purpose but there is huge potential to do so. The SWOT analysis identified several strengths (e.g. financial incorporation, easy to access, protection and safety, simple for other accounts to connect to, product and consumer service management, quick to implement/administer), weaknesses (e.g. lack of infrastructure and the “tapping” of devices already cornered by the mobile phone market, opportunities (e.g. eliminating fraud, better customer service, promotion/ loyalty that can be built into customer experience) and threats (e.g. attacks from viruses, frequent inquiries whether multiple wallets can be used by clients, the concerns of reckless spending behaviour of the e-wallet users). Research limitations/implications – This study is crucial for assessing the current situation and the prospects of e-wallets in Malaysia. This study also offers significant insights for policymakers and e-wallet service providers to develop appropriate strategies to enhance e-wallet services in Malaysia. Originality/value –This paper is the first of its kind to integrate a SWOT analysis and the rapid development of the e-wallet market in Malaysia. Hence, the findings could broaden our knowledge on the fintech industry and enable firms to participate in the e-wallet market

Damage visualization based on frequency shift of single-mode ultrasound-guided wavefield

Aircraft structures are often subjected to many complex loads that even a minor structural damage can disrupt their load-bearing capacities and lead to catastrophic failure. Ultrasonic wavefield inspection has been available for a while and it is a great method for damage detection. However, the challenge lies in the complexity of the algorithm for mode isolation. For this study, the damage visualization is performed based on frequency shift of single-mode ultrasound-guided wavefield. In principle, the spatio-temporal wavefield data is transformed into the wavenumber-temporal domain and filtering is then performed using Boxcar window before mapping the data. First, a filter width for mode isolation of ultrasonic wavefield in a time-cumulated wavenumber plane is determined. Then, generation of frequency map based on ultrasound spectral imaging (USI) for damage identification is investigated. Last but not least, the comparison of accuracy between frequency analysis algorithm and variable time window amplitude mapping (VTWAM) algorithm is performed. This technique is evaluated to detect artificial damages of 2 mm and 30 mm diameter in steel plates. Overall, the results show that frequency analysis can detect the damage four times faster and the algorithm uses two-dimensional calculation instead of conventional three-dimensional of VTWAM method