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The paper highlights the process-handling during the Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO) in combating pandemic COVID-19 in Malaysia.

Malaysia first issued an EMCO following a cluster that involved a religious gathering. The EMCO was issued to lockdown the area, undertake screening, treat positive cases and quarantine their close contacts. Active case detection and mass sampling were the main activities involving the population in both zones.

One hundred ninety-three confirmed COVID-19 cases were identified from the total population of 2,599. Of these cases, 99.5% were Malaysians, 31.7% were aged >60 years and all four deaths (Case Fatality Rate, 2.1%) were elderly people with comorbidities. One hundred and one cases (52.3%) were asymptomatic, of which 77 (77%) were detected during mass sampling. The risk factors contributing to the outbreak were contacts that had attended the religious gathering, regular mosque congregants, wedding ceremony attendees and close household contacts. Malaysia implemented an effective measure in the form of the EMCO to contain the COVID-19 outbreak, where the last cases were reported 16 days before the EMCO was lifted.

The residents’ compliance and inter-agency cooperation were essential elements to the success of the EMCO. A targeted approach using an EMCO should be implemented in a future pandemic.

This study aims to: first, examine the effect of interaction orientation (IO) and brand orientation (BO) on marketing capabilities and small and medium enterprises' (SMEs') performance, and second, assess the complementarity effect of IO and BO on marketing capabilities and SMEs' performance.

A model was developed and tested using a survey methodology. Data were collected from 538 SMEs located in Qatar and analysed by structural equation modelling with AMOS.

First, IO affects SMEs' performance only indirectly via marketing capabilities, whereas BO affects SMEs' performance both directly and indirectly. Second, contrary to expectations, the complementarity between IO and BO produced a destructive/suppressive effect, rather than a synergistic effect, on both marketing capabilities and SMEs' performance, reflecting the importance of a trade-off to enhance both marketing capabilities and SMEs' performance.

To the authors' knowledge, this is the first paper to examine the complementary effect of BO and IO on marketing capabilities and performance.

The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of service failure severity on brand forgiveness and to investigate the moderating effects of interpersonal attachment styles and thinking styles on the service failure severity–brand forgiveness relationship.

The authors used retrospective experience sampling to collect the data and structural equation modeling (AMOS 24) to analyze 570 responses collected via an online survey.

This study shows that the service failure severity–brand forgiveness relationship is not always negative, as different conditions may amplify or weaken it. Specifically, a secure attachment style and holistic thinking weaken the negative impact of service failure severity on brand forgiveness, whereas an anxious attachment style and analytic thinking negatively amplify the relationship. An avoidance attachment style did not appear to play a role.

This study should help hotels fine-tune their segmentation, targeting and positioning efforts and may also help in implementing more focused recovery strategies.

This study provides insights into the role of psychological traits in amplifying/reducing the negative impact of service failure severity on brand forgiveness, thus showing the importance of developing the psychological profiles of customers beyond demographic profiling. The emotional and cognitive typologies of consumers are key to understanding the dependence of forgiveness on service failure severity.

This paper aims to examine small- and medium-sized enterprises’ (SMEs) strategic capabilities in terms of their marketing and management capabilities, their sources of environmental uncertainty and their organizational capabilities. Additionally, to what extent the effect differs across two sectors (manufacturing and service).

Partial least squares structural equation modeling was used to conduct multigroup analysis for the two sectors. Data was collected from a sample of 315 Omani SMEs, 166 from manufacturing and 149 from services.

The results show that strategic capabilities have a significant positive effect on customer satisfaction. However, the effect differs between manufacturing and service SMEs; the effect is greater in service than in manufacturing SMEs. Furthermore, the effect of organizational capabilities on customer satisfaction was found to be positive. However, the effect is higher in manufacturing as the difference is statistically significant.

Due to the growing importance of the service and manufacturing SMEs in developing countries and their considerable involvement in economic development, it is important to understand the characteristics of the strategic capabilities in both sectors. Thus, according to the authors’ knowledge, this paper is one of the first to propose a comprehensive framework that measures collectively the direct impact of strategic capabilities, organizational capabilities and environmental uncertainties on SMEs customer satisfaction and effectiveness.

The purpose of this paper is to present a model to predict the micro-hardness of friction stir processed (FSPed) AZ31B magnesium alloy using response surface methodology (RSM). Another objective is to identify process parameters and through-thickness position which will give higher micro-hardness values. Moreover, the study aims at defining the factor that exhibits the most effect on the micro-hardness. Friction stir processing (FSP) machine can then be fed with the optimized parameters to achieve desirable properties.

An experimental setup was designed to conduct FSP. Several AZ31B magnesium samples were FSPed at different combinations of rotational and translational speeds. The micro-hardness of all the combinations of process parameters was measured at different through-thickness positions. This was followed by an investigation of the three factors on the resulting micro-hardness. RSM was then used to develop a model with three factors and three levels to predict the micro-hardness of FSPed AZ31 magnesium alloy within the covered range. The analyses of variance in addition to experimental verification were both used to validate the model. This was followed by an optimization of the response.

The model showed excellent capability of predicting the micro-hardness values as well as the optimum values of the three factors that would result in better micro-hardness. The model was able to capture the effects of rotational speed, translational speed, and through-thickness position. Results suggest that micro-hardness values were mostly sensitive to changes in tool rotational speed.

FSP is considered to be one of the advanced microstructural modification techniques which is capable of enhancing the mechanical properties of light-weight alloys. However, the lack of accurate models which are capable of predicting the resulted properties from process parameters hinders the widespread utilization of this technique. At the same time, RSM is considered as a vital branch of experimental design due to its ability to develop new processes and optimize their performance. Hence, the developed model is very beneficial and is meant to save time and experimental effort toward effective use of FSP to get the desired/optimum micro-hardness distribution.

Classical assumptions of agency theory (AT) fall short of providing satisfactory answers to modern management and organizational knowledge (MOK) problems, and there is a need for extending the scope of the field. This article aims to compare modern AT assumptions with the agency perspective of Islamic historical political treatises (namely, siyasetnamas) and point out how AT can be furthered.

This article applies content analysis method to find out agency perspectives in Islamic political treatises and then compare them with those of the basic AT assumptions to find out similarities and differences between them in explaining agency problems.

The agency perspective in siyasetnamas are based on the following assumptions which could contribute to the development of AT with their emphasis on (1) responsibilities beyond contracts, (2) entrustment rather than ownership, (3) shared societal responsibility rather than conflicting individual interests, (4) importance of self-control for both principals and agents and (5) trust discourse which emphasizes inner virtues rather than control discourse.

Agency perspectives cannot be considered independent of cultural imprints. By introducing siyasetnamas' agency perspective, this article makes an effort to suggest implications for how to further modern MOK based overwhelmingly on individualistic cultural assumptions to rediscuss agency problems from the viewpoint of specifically the emerging markets in which collectivist culture plays an important role in social and economic life. In this respect, siyasetnamas' agency perspective based on the notion of entrustment seems, arguably, to be a better fit to the contextual realities and managerial practices of emerging markets.

Resources as well as the capacity to employ them judiciously may well be the key to the attainment of the SDGs and other related health goals through primary health care (PHC). Within this PHC framework, however, the source of resources for PHC as well as the systems for managing these associated resources remain unclear, complex and lack substantive integration systems of implementing ministries, departments and agencies (both local and international) in Ghana. These issues are addressed by this study.

The framework approach to thematic analysis was used to analyse qualitative data collected from key PHC managers in Ghana selected purposively from the national, regional and district levels. Data were collected through in-depth interviews specially designed in line with the study objectives. The study was also governed by the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research which provided ethical clearance for the study.

As per Alma Ata's recommendation, PHC in its purest form is a resource dense activity with far-reaching implications on individuals and communities. Without adequate resources, PHC implementation remained merely on paper. Findings show that the key capacities required for PHC implementation were finance, human resource, technology and logistics. While significant cases of shortages and inadequacies were evident, management and maintenance of these capacities appeared to be another significant determinant of PHC implementation. Additionally, the poor allocation, distribution and sustainability of these capacities had a negative effect on PHC outcomes with more resources being concentrated in capital towns than in rural areas.

This study has significant implications on the way PHC is seen, implemented and assessed not in Ghana but in other developing countries. In addition to examining the nature and extent of capacities required for PHC implementation, it gives significant pathways on how limited resources, when properly managed, may catalyse the attainment of the PHC goals. Subsequently, PHC implementation will profit from stakeholder attention and further research into practical ways of ensuring efficiency in the allocation, distribution and management of resources especially considering the limited resources available and the budding constraints associated with the dependency on external stakeholders for PHC implementation.

This study is part of a series on PHC implementation in Ghana. Quite apart from putting core implementation issues into perspective, it presents first-hand information on Ghana's PHC implementation journey and is thus relevant for researchers, students, practitioners and the wider public.

The Islamic modest fashion industry is growing rapidly and becoming more competitive within an increasing number of brands available in the market. Based on this reason, both marketers and designers need to create differentiation in their brands. One of the ways to create such differentiation is by establishing a brand personality. Thus, the purpose of this study is to develop a reliable measure of Islamic apparel personality that incorporates the relevant dimensions/traits Muslim females attribute to their apparel.

Islamic apparel brand personality model was developed based on the Qur’an verses, hadith (sayings of Prophet Muhammad), traits in Aaker’s and other Islamic brand personality models. Focus groups were used to generate a list of traits. Following this, a survey research method was used to gather data. Then, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted on a sample of 190 Egyptian Muslim females.

This study introduces five dimensions of the Islamic apparel brand personality model, namely, simplicity, feminine, modesty, Islamic and righteousness.

This study contributes to the branding as well as Islamic apparel marketing literature as it is the first Islamic apparel brand personality framework. With the Islamic apparel brand personality model, Islamic apparel designers, producers and marketers can create a strong brand image, use advertising strategies effectively and ultimately attract more potential consumers.

The Islamic apparel brand personality model being the first of its kind is significant for the Islamic apparel industry. It reflects dimensions that are supported by the Quran and hadith and therefore suits the Muslim customer market.

As an emerging visualization technology, virtual reality (VR) falls into the dilemma of having great potential but a low adoption degree in the architectural, engineering and construction (AEC) industry. However, few studies paid attention to studying barriers affecting VR’s adoption and their inner mechanisms. This makes AEC users hard to catch the key points for VR’s implementations. This study aims to get a clear structure of these barriers and provide insights for the improvement.

First, 12 major VR-AEC adoption barriers were identified by a systematic literature review and expert interviews (EI). Second, EI and similarity aggregation method were conducted to achieve reliable barrier relationships. Third, interpretive structural modeling was used to establish a multi-level model for barriers. Finally, ten crucial barriers were targeted with a comprehensive strategy framework.

The findings help AEC stakeholders get a thorough understanding of the VR-AEC adoption barriers. Besides, the inner mechanism among barriers is revealed and analyzed, followed by a systematic strategy framework. It is anticipated that users could conduct more effective VR-AEC promotions in the future.

This paper is the first to propose a comprehensive literature review on the VR-AEC adoption barriers. In addition, this paper is novel in building a hierarchy model that explores barriers’ inner mechanism, where structural strategies are proposed.