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Interest in the Electronic Word-of-Mouth (eWOM) in connection with tourism is constantly growing not only among consumers but also among theoreticians. Therefore, the objective of this chapter is to provide an overview of studies that focus on eWOM in the tourism sector using the snowball method. The article is based on a review of the literature of 60 studies that focus not only on consumer behavior in tourism and the impact of eWOM on tourism supply but also on the impact of hotel managers' responses to other consumer behavior and tourism companies. The results of the studies show that eWOM has a significant impact not only on consumer behavior but also on tourism supply. Manager responses can also strongly affect other consumer behavior in decision-making. When eWOM is distributed, consumers are influenced by their emotions, motives, and also by the websites to which they have decided to contribute. The chapter proposes further research areas for different authors.

This paper aims to investigate the vital characteristic of an innovative ceramic injection molding (CIM) process for orthopedic application with controlled porosity and improved tribological and mechanical properties which were affected by complex tribological interactions, whether lubricated like hip implants and other artificial prostheses. The main objective is to maximize the usage of palm stearin as a single based binder as the function of flow properties during injection molding process.

The binder used in this present study consists of 100 per cent palm stearin manufactured by Kempas Oil Sdn Bhd and supplied by Vistec Technology Sdn Bhd. The feedstock was prepared by using a Z-blade mixer (Thermo Haake Rheomix OS) and Brabender mixer model R2400. The feedstock prepared was injection molded using a manually operated vertical benchtop machine with an average pressure of about 5-7 bars. The firing step included the temporary holds at intermediate temperatures to burn out organic binders. At this stage, the green molded specimen was de-bound using a single-step wick-debinding method.

The maximum content of ceramic material is applied to investigate the efficiencies of net formulation that can be achieved by ceramic materials. The longer the viscosity will change with shear rate, the higher the value of n obtained instead. From the slope of the curves obtained in Figure 3, the value of n for the feedstock was determined to be less than 1, which indicates a pseudoplastic behavior and suitability for the molding process. Moreover, high shear sensitivity is important in producing complex and intrinsic specimens which are leading products in the CIM industry.

The feedstock containing HAp powder and palm stearin binder was successfully prepared at very low temperature of 70°C, which promoting a required pseudo-plastic behavior during rheological test. The single binder palm stearin should be optimized in other research works carried out, as palm stearin is most preferred compared to other polymeric materials that provided high energy consumption when subjected to the sintering process. Besides the binder is widely available in Malaysia, low cost and harmless effect during debinding process.

This paper aims to present the dielectrophoresis (DEP) force (FDEP), defined as microelectrofluidics mechanism capabilities in performing selective detection and rapid manipulation of blood components such as red blood cells (RBC) and platelets. The purpose of this investigation is to understand FDEP correlation to the variation of dynamic dielectric properties of cells under an applied voltage bias.

In this paper, tapered design DEP microelectrodes are used and explained. To perform the characterization and optimization by analysing the DEP polarization factor, the change in dynamic dielectric properties of blood components are observed according to the crossover frequency (f_xo) and adjustment frequency (f_adj) variation for selective detection and rapid manipulation.

Experimental observation of dynamic dielectric properties change shows clear correlation to DEP polarization factor when performing selective detection and rapid manipulation. These tapered DEP microelectrodes demonstrate an in situ DEP patterning efficiency more than 95%.

The capabilities of tapered DEP microelectrode devices are introduced in this paper. However, they are not yet mature in medical research studies for various purposes such as identifying cells and bio-molecules for detection, isolation and manipulation application. This is because of biological property variations that require further DEP characterization and optimization.

The introduction of microelectrofluidics using DEP microelectrodes operate by selective detecting and rapid manipulating via lateral and vertical forces. This can be implemented on precision health-care development for lab-on-a-chip application in microfluidic diagnostic and prognostic devices.

This study introduces a new concept to understand the dynamic dielectric properties change. This is useful for rapid, label free and precise methods to conduct selective detection and rapid manipulation of mixtures of RBC and platelets. Further, potential applications that can be considered are for protein, toxin, cancer cell and bacteria detections and manipulation. Implementation of tapered DEP microelectrodes can be used based on the understanding of dynamic dielectric properties of polarization factor analysis.

To tap into the global market, it is important to evaluate and predict the trends of the acceptance of non-Muslims towards halal food products. This review paper aimed to evaluate the evidence relating to the potential barriers to the acceptance of halal food among non-Muslim consumers.

The authors searched ScienceDirect, Scopus, Emerald and JSTOR databases. The search for the studies was performed without restrictions by using the terms “Non-Muslim” OR “Jews” OR “Christian” OR “Hindu” OR “Buddha” AND “halal” OR “halalan toyyiban” OR “sharia compliance” AND “food” OR “dietary” AND “perception” OR “opinion” OR “attitude” OR “barrier”. Quantitative studies were included, and the quality of the studies was assessed with the Crowe Critical Appraisal Tool.

Two themes were identified to be the potential barriers in the acceptance of halal food among non-Muslim consumers. There were two major factors: weak intention (negative attitude, perceived low behavioural control and perceived low subjective norms) and lack of food safety awareness, whereas the minor factors were as follows: perceived low food quality, halal logo/brand, lack of halal awareness, religious belief, animal welfare, consumer motive, low confidence level, lack of proper marketing/promotion, bad cognitive dissonance, bad food assurance and poor product judgement.

By realising these potential barriers, it will benefit many parties including stakeholders and the food industry to improve their strategy to expand the halal market, especially for non-Muslims.

Based on the findings, the authors believe that while research towards halal needs to continue and improve its basis in theory and design, researchers and food marketers can be confident that intention of purchasing halal food products can be increased by securing the aspect of attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control as well as food safety awareness. Based on the identification of these potential barriers, this review hopes to further explain effective methods of communication for conveying halal concept in different parts of the countries.

It is essential to provide the necessary facilities in a building for human living. However, most unit owners of high-rise buildings do not realise the importance of good property management until their buildings and common facilities have deteriorated. It is thus important to ensure adequate maintenance is provided to create and sustain a healthy living environment for high-rise households. The purpose of this study is to measure and compare the perceptions and satisfactions of residents with the facilities and maintenance services provided in two different condominiums located next to each other.

Survey questionnaires were used, and the data were collected from 120 residents of each condominium which was developed by the same developer but completed at different times. Using the IBM SPSS Statistics software, cross tabulations, χ² tests of independence and independent-samples t-tests were carried out for descriptive and inferential statistics. A simple post questionnaire survey was conducted to confirm the findings obtained from χ² tests and t-tests.

The results show that residents’ perceptions of facilities and maintenance services provided are significantly higher for the newer condominium compared to the older one. Residents’ satisfactions with facilities are also higher for the newer condominium. However, poorer lift services and their maintenance have resulted in lower overall mean satisfaction with maintenance services for the newer condominium. Nevertheless, results from data collected in post questionnaire survey reveal that the respondents still prefer to live in the newer condominium despite higher rental rates.

This paper reports only the data collected from samples of two condominiums in Kuala Lumpur.

There is a dearth of literature on residents’ perceptions and satisfactions towards facilities and maintenance services provided for high-rise residential living, particularly in Malaysia, where high-rise buildings are either managed by joint management body or management corporation depending on whether the strata titles have been issued. The findings can be used as benchmarks for property management purposes of condominiums.

This paper could be considered as the first in reporting residents’ perceptions and satisfactions with the facilities and maintenance services provided in residential high-rise buildings since the implementation of the Strata Management Act 2013, which was implemented to provide for proper maintenance and management of high-rise buildings and the common properties.

This study aims to conduct a systematic literature review on consumer behavior (CB) in Islamic banking (IB), encompassing an overview of researched contexts and topics, identifying literature gaps and proposing a comprehensive future research agenda.

By using bibliometric citation and content analysis, this study investigates 135 documents sourced from Scopus indexed publications.

This study delves into the growing field of CB in IB, offering a comprehensive understanding that encompasses influential journals, theories, research context, characteristics and methods used in IB research.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to provide a comprehensive review of CB studies in the IB domain detailing research topics, prevailing theories, research settings, important variables and research methods.

This paper aims to investigate the antecedents of Muslim millennial’s purchase intention for halal-certified cosmetics and pharmaceutical products by expanding the theory of reasoned action (TRA) through the inclusion of religiousity (RG), halal knowledge and halal certification as the exogenous constructs in addition to TRA’s subjective norm, with attitude as the mediating variable.

A sample of 403 Muslim millennial customers of cosmetics and pharmaceutical products from the Greater Jakarta area, Indonesia. The data were analysed using partial least squares method.

Based on the study, attitude fully and/or partially mediates all the exogenous variables. RG and subjective norm are found to have no direct and significant relationship to purchase intention, but they indirectly affect the latter through attitude. Finally, both halal knowledge and halal certification have partial mediation with purchase intention through attitude as the mediating variable.

By understanding the relationships between the latent constructs, halal players in the industry could use the findings to better comprehend the urgency and importance of the halal aspects of their products, particularly halal certification, with regards to the Muslim millennials, and devise appropriate policies and strategies to capture the increasingly potential slice of the market.

The extant literature on halal products has mostly examined the food industry, and little attention has been given to the halal cosmetics and pharmaceutical products, inspite of its growing importance in Indonesia as the world’s largest halal market. Unlike earlier studies on the topic, this study also limits its focus on the Muslim millennial consumers, which is arguably the most potential and lucrative share of the halal market.

Malaysia's open registration system (ORS) scheme, which began in 1997, was established as part of prevention mechanism by the Ministry of Housing and Local Government to plug the leakage in the low-cost housing (LCH) allocation process. After two decades, ineligible persons still secure LCH to the detriment of the Malaysian low-income earners (LIEs) house-buyers/rentals. This paper explored the LCH computerised ORS for LIEs and proffered policy solutions to improve the scheme.

The data were collected via unexplored exploratory sequential mixed methods approach that engaged 25 well-informed participants and the ‘quantilised findings’, validated by the Malaysian LCH policymakers.

This paper found that there is weak compliance to computerised ORS, which is pronounced in states with relaxed eligibility clearance. Also, it was found that under-declaration of income evident in states where there is relaxed verification and lack of data sharing between states and with federal governments, among others, are the root cause of weak compliance to computerised ORS.

This paper is limited to unravelling the encumbrances in the low-cost housing computerised open registration system in Malaysia's major cities. Future research is needed to use relevant information to access the level of enforcement of the computerised open registration system across the states of Malaysia.

This paper recommended that LCH computerised ORS should be devoid of party favouritism, state government should establish functional LCH computerised ORS, and the state and federal governments, should embrace cooperative federalism. Also, applicants should be subjected to the Central Credit Reference Information System check, and culprits should be referred to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission. This paper provides salutary lessons on how to improve the scheme with a view to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals regarding housing in 2030.

This paper demonstrates that the low-cost housing computerised open registration system in Malaysia is yet to be implemented across the states.

The current study aimed to explore the extent of accounting graduates’ abilities (AGAs) in Jordan to use modern information technology systems (MITSs) to make optimal financial decisions (OFDs). To carry out this study, the descriptive analytical approach was used to collect and analyze data. Accordingly, an electronic questionnaire was designed and distributed to 5,000 students in 30 universities in Jordan. However, only 1,067 questionnaires were valid for analysis, which constituted the sample of study. To test the research hypotheses, the descriptive analysis and multivariate regression test were used. The results indicated that the majority of accounting graduates (AGs) in Jordanian universities (JUs) do not realize the importance role of MITSs to make OFDs. In addition, the biggest challenge face AGs in JUs is the weakness of current accounting curricula in JUs in terms of not including materials related to MITSs and the role of these systems in performing accounting tasks. Finally, the study found that the current abilities of AGs in JUs moderate negatively and significantly the positive relationship between the use of MITSs and making OFDs. Accordingly, the study recommended that JUs work on developing accounting curricula through including modern courses related to the use of MITSs in performing accounting tasks.

There is paucity of research on the significant criteria that non-Muslims consider when purchasing halal cosmetics. Consequently, this paper aims to apply the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) and the health belief model (HBM) to investigate the effects of subjective norms (SN), perceived behavioural control (PBC), halal certification and health consciousness on attitude; as well as the impact of attitude on promoting the intention to purchase halal cosmetic products among non-Muslims.

Data collection involved the use of a web-based survey of 238 non-Muslim respondents that are resident in Malaysia, a south east Asian country reputed for being the global hub for halal products. The proposed model was evaluated using Smart PLS 3.3.5.

According to the structural model results, halal certification, health consciousness and SN have significant relationships with attitude. In addition, there are significant relationships between attitude, health consciousness, SN and the intention to purchase halal cosmetic products. In contrast, there is no correlation between halal certification, PBC and intention to purchase halal cosmetics. Furthermore, attitude significantly mediates the relationships between halal certification, SN, health consciousness and intention to purchase halal cosmetics. However, attitude did not significantly fulfil the role of a mediator in the relationship between PBC and intention to purchase halal cosmetic products.

The study findings provide valuable insights to companies targeting non-Muslim markets. The study findings contend how halal cosmetic production/marketing companies may customize their marketing activities based on social and health perspectives, thereby increasing the consumers’ social expectations and confidence in halal cosmetics production standards and guaranteeing safety to influence their attitudes and quickly penetrate the new market for non-Muslim consumers who make a relatively unexplored population.