The customers satisfaction on retailers’ brand products: a study on selected areas in Klang Valley

In recent years, there has been a shift from national brand towards retailer's brand. This phenomenon is very obvious in developed nations, while growing increasingly in developing nations, such as Malaysia. This study attempts to uncover the customers’ acceptance, and identify factors deemed important in influencing this satisfaction. The literature review was conducted to compile research results conducted in Western nations. Based on this literature review, a research model was proposed that comprises customer satisfaction, product quality, product price, product promotion, and product risk. Using the systematic random intercept approach at the Malls, sample size of 206 was used in this study. The results of the study support past study in the developed nations whereby there exist significant relations between customers’ satisfaction and the other four factors. All the four factors identified by past study also have significant influence on customers’ satisfaction with the retailers’ retailer's brand products

A Proposal for Social Ethical Hacking Framework for Detecting and Managing Human-Induced Vulnerabilities in Organizational Cybersecurity

Organizations carry out an ethical hacking approach to combat cybersecurity challenges, focusing on the technical aspects of cybersecurity vulnerabilities. The practice persists despite evidence that shows that human-induced cybersecurity vulnerabilities constitute a significant threat to organizational cybersecurity. To address this gap, we propose the social-ethical hacking framework to deal with human-induced cybersecurity vulnerabilities in organizations. We adopted the interpretive case study research method, the community of practice theory as the theoretical study lens, and university undergraduate students as the study context. Research data was collected through interviews and participatory observation. The study reveals how the communities of practice undergraduate students established in the study context enabled the institutionalization of social actions and behaviors that constitute cybersecurity vulnerabilities. Organizational actors jointly create the social behaviors and actions that make organizations vulnerable to cybersecurity challenges and should focus on social-ethical hacking practices. The result shows the crucial role of competence in degenerating similar behaviors among undergraduate students; and how their social behaviors make their institution susceptible to cyber security threats

Psychosocial predictors of breast self-examination among female students in Malaysia: a study to assess the roles of body image, self-efficacy and perceived barriers

Background: Early detection is a critical part of reducing the burden of breast cancer and breast self-examination (BSE) has been found to be an especially important early detection strategy in low and middle income countries such as Malaysia. Although reports indicate that Malaysian women report an increase in BSE activity in recent years, additional research is needed to explore factors that may help to increase this behavior among Southeastern Asian women. Objective: This study is the first of its kind to explore how the predicting variables of self-efficacy, perceived barriers, and body image factors correlate with self-reports of past BSE, and intention to conduct future breast self-exams among female students in Malaysia. Materials and methods: Through the analysis of data collected from a prior study of female students from nine Malaysian universities (n=842), this study found that self-efficacy, perceived barriers and specific body image sub-constructs (MBSRQ-Appearance Scales) were correlated with, and at times predicted, both the likelihood of past BSE and the intention to conduct breast self-exams in the future. Results: Self-efficacy (SE) positively predicted the likelihood of past self-exam behavior, and intention to conduct future breast self-exams. Perceived barriers (BR) negatively predicted past behavior and future intention of breast self-exams. The body image sub-constructs of appearance evaluation (AE) and overweight preoccupation (OWP) predicted the likelihood of past behavior but did not predict intention for future behavior. Appearance orientation (AO) had a somewhat opposite effect: AO did not correlate with or predict past behavior but did correlate with intention to conduct breast self-exams in the future. The body image sub-constructs of body area satisfaction (BASS) and self-classified weight (SCW) showed no correlation with the subjects' past breast self-exam behavior nor with their intention to conduct breast self-exams in the future. Conclusions: Findings from this study indicate that both self-efficacy and perceived barriers to BSE are significant psychosocial factors that influence BSE behavior. These results suggest that health promotion interventions that help enhance self-efficacy and reduce perceived barriers have the potential to increase the intentions of Malaysian women to perform breast self-exams, which can promote early detection of breast cancers. Future research should evaluate targeted communication interventions for addressing self-efficacy and perceived barriers to breast self-exams with at-risk Malaysian women and further explore the relationship between BSE and body image

Participation and empowerment among self-help groups in Kano City

Self-Help Groups (SHGs) are local organisations that create avenues for grassroots participation at the community level in self-help activities. SGHs play an important role in helping people participate in community development activities that eventually lead to empowerment. In line with this, this paper examined the relationship between dimensions of participation and empowerment among SHG members in Kano City, Nigeria. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire from 400 respondents from four local government areas of Kano City. The descriptive analysis showed a high level of participation and empowerment among the respondents. Pearson correlation analysis revealed a significant positive relationship between the dimensions of participation and empowerment. This study supported previous literature on SHG sustainability. Practically, SHG activities have the potential to become a model for sustainable community development projects at the locality level

Participation as a medium for economic empowerment among microfinance scheme beneficiaries in Kano, Nigeria

Participation is a vital component in community development projects such as microfinance scheme. The aim of microfinance is the provision of micro-financial services to economically-active-poor and low income households to enable them engage in income generating activities. This initiative could only be achieved through people participation in the scheme. This study examined the change in income among farmers beneficiaries of microfinance scheme in Kano. Data was collected from 364 respondents using structured questionnaire from six local government areas of Kano state. Paired sample t-test shows significant difference between income before(M=122,058.242,SD=116,312.049) and income after ( M= N175,137.088,SD= N72,611.637) participating in microfinance scheme (t= -14.803, p< .05, effect size = .613). Based on this(363)analysis the authors concluded that beneficiaries of microfinance scheme in Kano were economically empowered. The authors recommended that participating in microfinance scheme is an appropriate strategy to achieve economic empowerment

Participation in microfinance scheme: a medium for empowering community with special reference to Nigeria

For the past three decades, microfinance scheme has become a key instrument for community empowerment in developing countries. In recent years the scheme has attracted international attention thereby assuming a prominent place in community development discourse. This paper discusses the role of microfinance scheme as a tool for community empowerment in Nigeria. Previous literature revealed that successive Nigerian governments in the past initiated a series of public financed programs and policies targeted at the poor but unfortunately, all those programs have failed to deliver. The current Nigerian government‟s policy on National Economic Empowerment Development Strategy (NEEDS) where microfinance scheme is identified as one of the key instrument for empowerment is reviewed and discussed along the bottom-up principles. Lastly, this paper proposed a model of framework for microfinance in Nigerian context

Relationship between socio-economic factors and participation in decision making in microfinance scheme among rural farmers in Kano, Nigeria

This study examined the relationships between socio-economic factors and participation in decision making among rural farmers in Kano, Nigeria. Data was collected from 364 respondents using structured questionnaire from six local government areas of Kano state. The descriptive analysis revealed that there is high level of participation in decision making among rural farmers community in Kano based on the overall mean score of 4.19 and standard deviation of 0.81. Spearman Rho correlation analysis also shown significant negative relationship between level of education and participation in decision making (rs = -.372, p = .000) which means, majority of people in the study areas are not educated since some of them who acquired educational qualifications look for better job opportunities instead of participating in agricultural activities. Therefore, the authors recommended that, government should either increase the amount of microloan uniformly or give special consideration to educated people in order to curtail rural-urban migration for ‘white collar’ jobs. Similarly, the analysis shown that, there is significant positive low relationship between type of farm product and participation in decision making (rs = .184, p = .001), which means, people involvement in rural development program has low impact on their agricultural production. Thus, the authors recommends that, government should give more financial support to rural farmers in order to increase their capital base to enhance agricultural production in the study areas which may eventually lead to improvement in well-being of the farming communities

Gender and age differences in social anxiety among Iranian immigrants children in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia

Studies from clinical populations about the children have shown that social anxiety is a disorder in early childhood to mid-adulthood. In this regard, this study focused on comparing the gender and age categories difference in social anxiety among Iranian primary school children living in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia. The sample size of this study is 215 primary school pupils aged between 9 – 12 years old; and data was collected using Social Anxiety Scale for Children – Revised (SASC-R) (La Greca & Stone, 1993). The result indicted no significant difference between male and female as well as age categories in social anxiety among the respondents. This means, children who participated in this study did not differ significant in terms of social anxiety disorder based on gender and age categories. By implication, early detection of social anxiety disorder among children would ease treatment and intervention which will subsequently prevent social anxiety

An Investigative Study on Impact of Frequency Dynamics in Load Modeling

Load modeling plays a significant impact in assessing power system stability margin, control, and protection. Frequency in the power system is desired to be kept constant, but in a real sense, it is not constant as loads continually change with time. In much literature, frequency dynamics are ignored in the formulation of load models for the basic assumption that it does not affect the models.&nbsp; In this paper, the composite load model was formulated with Voltage-Frequency Dependency (V-FD) on real and reactive powers and applied to estimate the load model. 2- Area network 4- machines Kundur test network was used for testing the developed model.&nbsp; The model was trained with measurements from a low voltage distribution network supplying the Electrical Engineering department at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. Both training and testing data were captured under normal system operation (dynamics). To evaluate the V-FD model performance, Voltage-Dependent (VD) model was examined on the same measured data. The work makes use of the Feed Forward Neural Network (FFNN) as a nonlinear estimator. Results obtained indicate that including frequency dynamics in modeling active power reduces the accuracy of the model. While in modeling reactive power the model performance improves. Hence, it can be said that including frequency dynamics in load modeling depends on the intended application of the model

Leveraging microenterprise products at the global market : a strategy to ensure sustainable poverty alleviation

Across developing countries, microfinance has emerged as an effective tool for poverty reduction. It enables microenterprenuers to get access to finance, income generation, build assets, as well ascreating opportunities for poor households to plan for future. This article discusses the role of microfinance as a tool for poverty alleviation and potential of microenterprise products to global market. Previous literature revealed that microfinance institutions have contributed tremendously in poverty reduction through creation of microenterprises, or otherwise strengthened the existing microenterprises in developing nations. Based on the reviewed literature, the authors argued that the scope of microenterprise is beyond poverty alleviation but rather, its contribution to both domestic and international market. The authors recommend that government in developing countries apart from policy formulation and regulations on microfinance institutions however, should also be responsible for creating market for microenterprises products at both domestic and international levels