Purpose This study aims to explore how visceral factors, financial knowledge and trust affect young adults in Malaysia in terms of falling for investment scams. Design/methodology/approach Based on the elaboration likelihood model, this research used a cross-sectional survey. Data was gathered from 511 young adults in the Klang Valley through an online questionnaire shared on social media and in public places. The data were analysed using structural equation modelling. Findings The results show that visceral influences directly increase the chances of falling for investment scams. Financial literacy and trusting behaviour did not have a direct effect, but they significantly influenced susceptibility indirectly through visceral factors. This highlights the critical role of emotions and situations in scam vulnerability. Research limitations/implications The study focuses only on Malaysian young adults, so the results might not apply to other groups. The findings suggest the need for targeted education that not only improves financial literacy but also helps manage emotions and develop critical thinking skills. Originality/value This research adds to the limited studies on scam vulnerability among young adults in developing countries. By identifying visceral influences as a key factor, it provides new insight into the psychological mechanisms behind scam victimisation.

Abstract: This study delves into the nuanced perceptions of gangs and gangsterism in Malaysia through the lens of law enforcement officers, crime reporters, and crime analysts. Using a qualitative approach, the research explores how these stakeholders define gangs, the racial and ethnic characteristics associated with gang membership, the underlying motivations for joining gangs, and the strategies proposed to curb gang activities. Through in-depth interviews and secondary data analysis, the study uncovers the complex interplay of socio-economic factors, such as underdevelopment, marginalization, and economic downturns, which drive individuals towards gang affiliation. Additionally, it highlights psychological and behavioural influences that contribute to gang membership. The research emphasizes the importance of developing comprehensive intervention strategies that not only focus on prevention and rehabilitation but also foster community engagement. These strategies should be tailored to address the unique socio-cultural dynamics of Malaysia, recognizing the diverse backgrounds and experiences of those involved in or affected by gang activities. The findings underscore the necessity for a multi-faceted approach that integrates efforts from various sectors, including law enforcement, social services, and the community, to effectively combat the gang phenomenon in Malaysia. By providing a detailed understanding of the perceptions and proposed solutions from key stakeholders, this study contributes valuable insights into the ongoing discourse on gangsterism and offers practical recommendations for policy and practice. Abstrak: Kajian ini meneroka persepsi yang terperinci mengenai geng dan gangsterisme di Malaysia melalui perspektif pegawai penguatkuasa undang-undang, wartawan jenayah, dan penganalisis jenayah. Menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif holistik, penyelidikan ini mengkaji bagaimana pihak berkepentingan ini mentakrifkan geng, ciri-ciri kaum dan etnik yang berkaitan dengan keahlian geng, motivasi asas untuk menyertai geng, dan strategi yang dicadangkan untuk membendung aktiviti geng. Melalui temu bual mendalam dan analisis data sekunder, kajian ini membongkar interaksi kompleks faktor sosio-ekonomi seperti kemunduran, peminggiran, dan kemerosotan ekonomi yang mendorong individu untuk menyertai geng. Selain itu, ia menyoroti pengaruh psikologi dan tingkah laku yang menyumbang kepada keahlian geng. Penyelidikan ini menekankan kepentingan membangunkan strategi campur tangan yang komprehensif yang bukan sahaja menumpukan kepada pencegahan dan pemulihan tetapi juga memupuk penglibatan komuniti. Strategi-strategi ini harus disesuaikan untuk menangani dinamik sosio-budaya yang unik di Malaysia, mengiktiraf latar belakang dan pengalaman yang berbeza bagi mereka yang terlibat atau terkesan oleh aktiviti geng. Penemuan ini menegaskan keperluan untuk pendekatan pelbagai aspek yang mengintegrasikan usaha dari pelbagai sektor termasuk penguatkuasaan undang-undang, perkhidmatan sosial, dan komuniti untuk memerangi fenomena geng di Malaysia dengan berkesan. Dengan menyediakan pemahaman terperinci mengenai persepsi dan penyelesaian yang dicadangkan daripada pihak berkepentingan utama, kajian ini menyumbang pandangan yang berharga dalam wacana berterusan mengenai gangsterisme dan menawarkan cadangan praktikal untuk dasar dan amalan.

This study aims to explore the appeal of voluntary corporate disclosures in advertisements for unit trust schemes (UTS). Purposive sampling was used to recruit 25 Malaysian working adults aged between 20 to 70 years old as respondents. In-depth interviews were conducted via Zoom for an average duration of 60 to 90 minutes. Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed for thematic analysis. Findings showed that tangible brand components, namely logo, color schemes, typeface, and names which appear in financial advertisements, create brand awareness through key themes such as easy recognition, credibility, association, confidence, and familiarity. Financial advertisements in the media are important to create brand recognition, recall and familiarity. Brand awareness and attitude are vital in advertising financial products for eventual buy-in, especially among consumers. Brands should be recognized, remembered, and viewed positively in any type of unit trust advertising. The major deciding factor for brand awareness, attitude and purchasing decision is corporate voluntary disclosure. Financial products are pre-conceived as risky and require careful examination of trustworthy corporate tangible brand elements contained in an advertisement. Negative internal motivation among potential investors requires more reliable corporate information, including celebrity endorsements and fees charges. In fact, positive motivation for trust can be enhanced when celebrities and testimonials are involved, whereas fees charged is not crucial. This study intends to provide policy makers insights into persuading consumers to buy-in and invest in unit trust via appropriate corporate advertising strategies to target audience for effective advertising. Keywords: Trust, motivation, voluntary corporate disclosure, advertising, unit trusts.

Recent years have witnessed an emerging trend of e-cigarette smoking in Southeast Asia. On the basis of Malaysian perspectives, this cross-sectional study explored the relationship between e-cigarette smoking behaviour and variables such as perceived health benefit, the desire to quit, social acceptance, social impact and product usefulness. Individuals aged 17 years old and older were recruited via purposive convenience sampling, yielding a total sample of 503 respondents. Collected data were analysed via partial least squares-structural equational modelling. The results showed that perceived heath benefit (ß = 0.19, P < 0.01), social acceptance (ß = 0.23, P < 0.01) and social impact (ß = 0.49, P < 0.01) positively influence e-cigarette smoking behaviour. No such effect is exerted by the desire to quit smoking (ß = 0.08, P < 0.05) and product usefulness t (ß = –0. 10, P < 0.05). Future studies should examine whether demographic variables affect e-cigarette smoking behaviour.

Smoking electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) is currently a common social behaviour worldwide. Malaysia has the second highest smoking rate in the world after the United States. Some countries have positively embraced e-cigarettes to combat traditional cigarettes. However, most Asian countries, including Malaysia, are not sure whether to endorse or ban e-cigarette smoking. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the prevailing meanings and motives for e-cigarette smoking. An interpretive phenomenological approach was used to understand the lived experiences and underlying perceptions of e-cigarette smoking. A total 45 participants from the young adult age group (18-25) were selected and interviewed individually with open-ended questions until saturation was reached. Seven themes emerged from the analysis, namely public acceptance, social status and peer influence, healthy alternatives, smoking cessation tools, individual empowerment, flavourful attractions, and ease of availability. The themes identified provide a good understanding of this phenomenon for effective management of e-cigarette sales and general public health policy planning.

This study is aimed to explore the influence of Korean dramas on behavioural intentions toward South Korea among youth. A total of 547 samples were collected from Malaysian youth via online survey through social media. The results suggest that youth’s behavioural intentions toward South Korea is positively influenced by the viewing, likings of Korean dramas and attitude toward South Korea. The viewing and positive feelings toward Korean dramas are able to yield positive attitude toward South Korea. Furthermore, attitude toward South Korea is found out to be a partial mediator in the indirect effect of viewing and likings of Korean dramas. Implications of the study findings are discussed in this study.

With the current development in technology, mobile phones have become progressively more popular as they are one of the frequently used means of communication that people rely on because of their features. While people find mobile phones convenient and useful, international students in foreign countries tend to appreciate them more and are more dependent on them in order to maintain their social networks. The literature states that students from East Africa carry along their own culture with them, making it difficult for them to accept and adapt to the new culture easily. This includes meeting face to face in small areas and groups where friendships are formed through frequent interaction. Based on a survey conducted in various private universities in the Klang Valley where foreign students of East African origin are studying, students' mobile phone use for social networking was examined. The results showed that there was a positive significant relationship between variables such as interaction, interpersonal communication and social networking for maintenance of social network; however, there was no significant difference in mobile phone dependency for social networking among university students of East African origin and the duration of stay in Malaysia. Although they may be unable to interact in person, social networking proved useful to strengthen relationships that already exist and enhanced the feelings of closeness to others. As technology has advanced, there have been adjustments in the users' attitudes towards particular technologies, hence this has generated new social and cultural phenomena. This phenomenon has in a way changed the way mobile phones evolve as they represent social construction of technology. This social construction of the mobile phone is seen in the symbiotic relationship between the users of the technology. Users such as these students respond to the advancement of technologies such as mobile phones, which in turn has seen them develop social and cultural changes.

Graphic health warning on cigarette packages is the latest initiative to encourage cessation and reduce smoking uptake, nevertheless, it is not clear on how effective this approach can inform and change smoking behavior. The role of recipient factors influencing the processing of anti-smoking messages on cigarette packs is also unclear. This paper attempts to investigate these gaps by studying how cigarette pack graphical health warning messages and positive gain-framed statements are processed, and its impact on smoker's attitude using the information-processing theory of elaboration likelihood. Two models were developed for this experimental study. The first model focused on elaboration levels as determinants of attitude towards smoking. A total of 60 private college students were selected for this study. A 2x2 factorial experimental design was used to test the influence of elaboration (IV) on attitude towards smoking (DV). The second model tested the effect of four recipient factors on elaboration likelihood, the factors are: general health consciousness, need for cognition, personal relevance and prior knowledge. A two-way between subjects ANOVA was used to test the first model which had three null hypotheses. The two-way between subjects ANOVA test showed that recipients who scored high on elaboration had a stronger attitude against smoking due to the additional gain-framed arguments presented on the cigarette pack, while those who scored low on the elaboration had stronger attitudes against smoking based on the gruesome graphic health warning. Pearson Correlation Coefficient test was used for the second model and the outcome showed that only one factor that is personal relevance was strongly correlated with elaboration, the other factors were weakly correlated.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to propose and develop a distinct perspective from the consumer culture theory in the context of Muslim consumers, marketing and the feminist theory. Design/methodology/approach This paper is based on a critical review of the literature for insights into the consumer culture theory in the context of Muslim consumers, Islamic marketing paradigm and the feminist theory. Findings The study suggests that scholars in the area of marketing may consider drawing on the theory of Islamic consumer culture, film and feminist theory. This theory can be used as a platform to understand the Muslim mind and the related cultural traits to create greater engagement and interest in Malaysian horror genres among local and international audience. The Malaysian local horror genres currently have an interesting blend of Islam, local culture and gender biases addressing the universal concept of good against the evil forces, and this has the potential of offering new experiences to especially international audiences. Research limitations/implications This study is purely theory-based and is aimed at knowledge development in this field of Islamic consumer culture. It also invites academics to engage in scholarly activities toward theory building in this area. Practical implications The study provides directions for areas of possible future research in Islamic marketing, consumer culture and film studies. Social implications This study intends to broaden the research efforts in Islamic consumer culture marketing in terms of innovative ways to serve this growing Muslim market. Originality/value This study contributes to the discipline by providing new perspectives in Islamic consumer culture inquiry in the context of film studies.

Social networking sites have become an important channel of communication in people’s daily lives. Online photo sharing, a type of artefact sharing on Facebook has also grown in popularity. Thus, the purpose of this research is to study the relationship of intrinsic and extrinsic motivations in online photo sharing behaviours on Facebook. The study will also examine privacy concerns regarding online photo sharing. A non-random purposive sampling approach gathered a total of 422 Malaysian young adults aged between 18 and 34. Data was collected via a web based questionnaire distributed on Facebook. The results show that intrinsic and extrinsic motivations have positive correlations with online photo sharing behaviours on Facebook. Intrinsic motivations showed a stronger connection to online photo sharing behaviours. There was no significance found between privacy concerns and online photo sharing behaviours on Facebook. There was also no difference between genders in their online photo sharing behaviours. However, males showed higher privacy concerns in regards to online photo sharing on Facebook.

Environment and people considerations have become a major focus of business organizations in Malaysia and around the world. Both considerations fall under the new corporate social responsibility (CSR) catchphrase - People, Planet and Profits. CSR is concerned with business responsibilities beyond profit-maximisation (Dodd & Supa, 2011). The main purpose of this study is to evaluate the relationship between young adult Malaysian consumers' purchase intention and an organization's involvement in CSR programs. The study predicts that a positive association exists between an organization's involvement in CSR programs and consumer purchase intention (Dodd & Supa, 2011) and that consumers are more likely to purchase an organization's product if that organization is involved in socially responsible practices (Sen & Bhattacharya, 2001). Mohr, Webb and Harris's (2001) research indicated a significant relationship between CSR and consumer response. According to Pomering and Dolnicar (2008) consumers expect corporations to provide information on their CSR initiatives so as to enable them to support such organizations. As society becomes more affluent, consumers tend to focus on socially responsible activities undertaken by organizations and this has a definite influence on their purchase behaviour. Findings revealed that young Malaysian consumers were CSR centric and had a positive attitude towards organizations practising CSR. All three independent variables of attitude, subjective norm and behavioural control were positively correlated to consumer intentions to purchase CSR supported grocery brand. The findings also revealed that CSR knowledge among young, adult consumers was poor, and this moderated their socially responsible purchase behaviour. This implied that frequent CSR corporate communications can foster CSR centricity among young adult Malaysian consumers which benefits both the corporations and consumers.

This is a micro study of an on-going macro study of the different categories of fear appeals used in the on-going national anti-smoking campaign. A quasi-experimental design was used to study the respondents’ responses to the anti-smoking print advertisement campaign. Two types of advertisements were selected, one which depicted a social threat and the other a damaging health threat. Each type of advertisement was evaluated by two separate groups of participants. The evaluation was based on the extended parallel process model’s (EPPM) risk diagnosis scale. The social threat advertisement had a low fear and efficacy message while the health threat advertisement had a high fear and efficacy message. Findings showed that the social threat (low fear/efficacy) was able to make the respondents of the study take a preventive behavioural or danger control position to avoid the negative consequences. In comparison the damaging health threat (high fear/ efficacy) was found to move the participants to a fear control position or maladaptive behavioural position. The study supported the main predictions of the EPPM, and showed that the efficacy construct determined how the fear appeal was processed (danger control or fear control).

Competition in private higher education in Malaysia is intense and many institutions realize the need to review their branding strategies to become more competitive. In order to conceive a new branding strategy it is crucial that these institutions understand the expectations particularly of Malaysian Chinese students who dominate enrolment in the private education sector. This study examines the expectations of Malaysian Chinese students on selected factors, identified in past research, that influence the choice of institutions in their application for admission. Two hundred Chinese students were randomly selected from several private institutions to respond to a questionnaire which tested on such variables as academic programme and staff, facilities, pricing, and promotion. Data collected were analysed using Factor Analysis and Comparison of Means. Based on the mean score analysis, factors that significantly influenced the choice of an institution of higher education for admission are found to be academic integrity, quality of teaching, duration of course, future employability, educational fees, foreign and local degrees offered, institutional reputation and track record, student testimonies and opportunities of exposure to new social environment. A few factors found to be significant in an earlier study had lost their importance and these are entry requirements, facilities and extra-curricula activities. It is clear that for branding strategies to work, an institution of higher education has to take into account expectations that matter most to students.

Customer service is bad all over. Many companies you go they tell you about customer care policies and their focus on customer satisfaction. Faced with bad attitudes from the people who sell them goods and services, it is not surprising that many customers show low levels of satisfaction and loyalty to suppliers. The reason why customers go elsewhere because they are dissatisfied with the customer service. Customers are perverse, emotional, awkward, unreasonable people who want things done on their termsCustomers can be very unfair in their judgement but this is allowed, because they are paying for it. Many consumers are increasingly skeptical about advertising and see only brainwashing and lies, and they complain advertising images are largely based on sex and violence. Advertising agencies are fearful of consumer disinterest which may lead to frustration, distrust and hostility – brand may be tolerable today and may become the enemy of the consumer tomorrow. Some companies have already responded to the fact that new customers want more than low prices and brand, and compete on the reason(s) for their existence that goes beyond profit.

Why in 2007 people waited in front of Apple stores to get its first iPhone although it can be deliver if order online for 3 days? Why many consumers work hard to avoid rejection by their peers, a negative goal. They will stay away from products that they associate with social disapproval. Products such as mouth wash and deodorants frequently rely on consumers’ negative motivation when ads depict the onerous social consequences of underarm odor or bad breath. Do you know PLAYBOY announced plans to publish a magazine in India- but without nude? Are you aware that the Chinese consider appearance so important that they view plastic surgery as a commercial investment and it is common for people to take out loans to fund procedures. Some consumers “Only buy well known brand names” would not consider a new brand, even if it is equal or superior to existing ones. When people are less familiar with the product category or are not very motivated to process complex information, they tend to use simple, noncompensatory rules.

Purpose – This paper aims to explore how green branding towards beauty products can influence brand effect from the perspective Malaysian customers. The paper also aims to examine the components impact of green brand awareness, brand image, brand credibility, brand community and brand engagement and their positive relationship between them. This research study focuses on environmentally friendly beauty products available in Malaysia. Design/methodology/approach – This study employyed both quantitative and qualitative approach. A total of 30 respondents made up the focus groups and 200 respondents who had the experience of purchasing environmentally friendly products.were selected for the survey. Findings – The results of the study demonstrated that green brand awareness, brand image, brand credibility, brand community and brand engagement are positively related to branding of a business entity for beauty related product. Therefore, investing on resources to increase green brand awareness, brand image, brand credibility, brand community and brand engagement are helpful to enhance companies. Research limitations/implications – While the results are clear and have strong salience towards environmental beauty products industry in Malaysia, applications of the findings beyond Malaysia should take into account other factors such as the nature of industry, the perception, behavior and demographics of these customers. Practical implications – The study provides a set of findings relating to green branding initiatives that could be readily incorporated into a business plan. Originality/value – The study will be significant towards managers, researchers, and governments agencies, and provide useful contribution to relevant studies and future researches as reference.