INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND MANAGEMENT PRACTISES (IJEMP)

TIKTOK SEBAGAI PEMANGKIN EKONOMI PELAJAR ASNAF: KE ARAH PENDIGITALAN USAHAWAN MUDA

Afifah Azmi — 2026-06-03

Transformasi digital telah membuka ruang baharu dalam keusahawanan, khususnya melalui penggunaan platform media sosial seperti TikTok. Golongan pelajar asnaf di UiTM Perlis berpotensi besar untuk memanfaatkan medium ini sebagai sumber penjanaan ekonomi serta sebagai langkah awal ke arah pendigitalan usahawan muda. Kertas konsep ini membincangkan peranan platform ini sebagai pemangkin ekonomi bagi pelajar asnaf di UiTM Perlis dengan memberi tumpuan kepada peluang, cabaran dan strategi yang boleh digunakan untuk meningkatkan keterlibatan mereka dalam ekosistem digital. Kajian ini menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif berasaskan analisis dokumen, merangkumi laporan rasmi, artikel akademik dan sumber berkaitan media sosial serta keusahawanan digital. Dapatan yang dijangka ialah penggunaan TikTok bukan sahaja dapat meningkatkan kemahiran keusahawanan digital dalam kalangan pelajar asnaf di UiTM Perlis, malah turut membina keyakinan diri, jaringan sosial serta daya saing mereka di pasaran. Secara keseluruhan, kertas konsep ini menekankan potensi media sosial tersebut sebagai medium strategik dalam melahirkan generasi usahawan muda berdaya saing dan berdaya tahan dalam ekonomi digital semasa.

Digital transformation has opened new avenues in entrepreneurship, particularly through the use of social media platforms such as TikTok. Asnaf students (underprivileged students eligible for zakat) at UiTM Perlis possess significant potential to leverage this medium as a source of economic generation and as an initial step toward the digitalization of young entrepreneurs. This concept paper discusses the role of this platform as an economic catalyst for asnaf students at UiTM Perlis, focusing on the opportunities, challenges and strategies that can be employed to enhance their engagement within the digital ecosystem. This study utilizes a qualitative approach based on document analysis, encompassing official reports, academic articles and sources related to social media and digital entrepreneurship. The expected findings suggest that the use of TikTok not only enhances digital entrepreneurship skills among asnaf students at UiTM Perlis but also builds self-confidence, social networks, and market competitiveness. Overall, this concept paper emphasizes the potential of media social as a strategic medium in producing a generation of young entrepreneurs who are competitive and resilient in the current digital economy.

FACTORS INFLUENCING YOUTHS’ ENTREPRENEURIAL INTENTION: A CASE STUDY IN THE MEKONG DELTA

Thi Kim Truong — 2026-06-15

Youth entrepreneurship is particularly important in the Mekong Delta, where young people are expected to contribute to local employment, innovation, and the region’s green and digital transformation. However, existing studies on entrepreneurial intention (EI) in Vietnam have mainly focused on major urban areas or single-university samples, while evidence from the Mekong Delta remains limited. Therefore, this study aims to identify the factors influencing EI among youth in the Mekong Delta region of Vietnam. A mixed-methods research design was adopted, integrating both qualitative and quantitative approaches. Survey data were collected from 188 young individuals who are either currently engaged in or preparing for entrepreneurial activities, using a 5-point Likert scale for measurement. The analysis was conducted using PLS-SEM in SmartPLS, following two stages: assessment of the measurement model and the structural model. The results confirm the reliability of the measurement scales. The model explains 96.1% of the variance in EI (R² = 0.961). All hypotheses were supported at the p < 0.001 level with positive path coefficients: entrepreneurial motivation (EM) (β = 0.298), AT (β = 0.267), entrepreneurship support policies (SP) (β = 0.261), creativity and innovation (CI) (β = 0.245), and perceived behavioral control (PB) (β = 0.234). These findings underscore the prominent role of motivation, along with the importance of attitude, creative capacity, perceived control, and policy effectiveness in shaping EI among youth in the Mekong Delta. Managerial implications suggest prioritizing interventions that nurture motivation, enhance self-efficacy, foster innovation, and improve policy implementation to effectively convert intention into entrepreneurial action.

WHEN DATA BECOMES AUTHORITY: TRUST IN ANALYTICS AND DECISION-MAKING IN SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED ENTERPRISES

Zalina Jonit — 2026-06-03

Data analytics is increasingly embedded in Small and Medium-sized Enterprise (SME) decision-making, where dashboards and performance metrics are commonly treated as objective and authoritative bases for managerial judgement. While prior research has focused on analytics adoption and performance outcomes, limited attention has been given to how trust in analytics shapes decision-making after adoption. Drawing on theories of trust, organisational sensemaking, automation bias, and sociotechnical critiques of quantification, this conceptual paper develops the Trust Calibration Loop to explain how analytics acquires, stabilises, or loses authority through iterative cycles of interpretation, decision action, and outcome feedback. Accordingly, the model conceptualises trust as a dynamic, post-adoption process through which analytics is legitimised, contested, or marginalised in organisational practice. By foregrounding trust as a communicative and interpretive mechanism, the paper advances business communication and information systems literature. In addition, it highlights the risks of both uncritical reliance on analytics and premature scepticism in SME decision-making.

EXPLORING SUSTAINABLE DIGITAL MARKETING PRACTICES OF YOUTH ENTREPRENEURS: A QUALITATIVE CASE STUDY

Farahana Mohd Nazri — 2026-06-24

This case study explores at how young entrepreneurs may use sustainable digital marketing and how it can help them run their businesses on a daily basis and stay in business for a long time. In a corporate world that is becoming more digital and where online competition is getting tougher, young entrepreneurs need to constantly find a balance between making smart business decisions that are good for the environment and using marketing methods that work. This research employs a qualitative case study methodology, including data collecting through semi-structured interviews and document analysis of youth entrepreneurs across diverse business sectors. The study's findings indicate that sustainability elements are integrated into digital marketing efforts via ethical online communication, responsible content creation, customer engagement centered on consumer needs, and the strategic utilization of digital platforms to manage expenses and mitigate environmental effects. These practices help make the brand more trustworthy, improve relationships with customers, and make the firm more resilient. This survey also finds some important problems, such as not having enough resources, not having enough digital skills, and being under pressure to put short-term sales targets ahead of long-term sustainability goals. This study shows that sustainable digital marketing is a useful and doable way for managers to help young entrepreneurs' businesses do better and be more competitive. The results of this study provide valuable insights for youth entrepreneurs, entrepreneurship support organizations, and governments in their initiatives to enhance sustainability-oriented digital marketing practices within the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

DIGITAL MARKETING ADOPTION AND CONTINUANCE CHALLENGES IN MALAYSIAN MSMES: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

Nurezali Osman — 2026-06-08

This systematic literature review synthesises Malaysian empirical evidence on the challenges that constrain the adoption and post-adoption continuance of digital marketing among MSMEs, with implications for sustained use support. Following PRISMA 2020, Databases (Scopus and Web of Science) were searched for peer-reviewed English-language studies (2015–2025). After deduplication and screening, 22 studies were included from 107 records (71 unique). A six-item quality checklist was applied. A total of 156 challenge statements were extracted and coded via thematic synthesis. Next, they were classified by phase as adoption, continuance or cross-cutting when phase indicators were unclear. Six themes emerged. Adoption constraints were dominated by capability and readiness gaps and ecosystem/infrastructure bottlenecks, pointing to skills deficits, platform complexity and uneven enabling conditions. Continuance-related challenges were less frequently reported but clustered around resource scarcity and opportunity costs, trust/risk, reputational exposure and market volatility, suggesting that sustained use declines when effort, perceived risk and uncertain returns outweigh perceived benefits. Over half of the challenges were cross-cutting, indicating limited phase specificity in the Malaysian corpus and limiting insights into discontinuance mechanisms. Future research should operationalise phase-specific constructs and use longitudinal or process-sensitive designs. Practically, programmes should complement training with maintenance support such as routines, feedback loops and risk-mitigation practices to reduce the effort–return burden of sustained digital marketing use.

MUTAWALLI COMPETENCY CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK: AMALGAMATION OF TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE AND ISLAMIC BEHAVIOURAL COMPETENCIES

Sharifah Nor Iswani Syed Mohd Hashim — 2026-06-03

Waqf is a crucial socio-economic mechanism in Islam, possessing substantial potential to facilitate sustained community development. Nonetheless, its efficacy is frequently limited by inadequate governance frameworks, disjointed institutional processes, and a lack of proficiency among mutawalli tasked with overseeing waqf assets. This study seeks to establish a practice-oriented mutawalli competency framework by amalgamating Facilities Management (FM) competencies, behavioural competencies, and Islamic principles (Qowwiyul Amin), and to illustrate the operationalisation of these competencies within waqf management processes. This conceptual study utilises a qualitative methodology based on systematic literature synthesis, employing academic research, institutional reports, and professional competency standards to delineate and amalgamate essential competency areas. The suggested framework employs an Input–Process–Output model, connecting competency domains to their practical implementation in governance and management activities. The results demonstrate that proficient waqf governance relies on the amalgamation of technical, behavioural, and ethical competencies. The framework illustrates how these competencies augment asset utilisation, fortify governance processes, and boost transparency and accountability while guaranteeing Shariah compliance. By connecting facilities management, behavioural competences, and Islamic governance inside a single competency framework, this study makes a theoretical contribution. It offers pragmatic guidelines for competency-based appointments, training, performance assessments, and institutional advancement, presenting a systematic approach to evolve mutawalli roles into professional, accountable, and value-oriented managers of waqf assets.

MAPPING PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT PRACTICES AND SUCCESSION PLANNING: A BIBLIOMETRIC REVIEW WITH INSIGHTS ON COGNITIVE BIAS

Fetty Asmira A. Azman — 2026-06-15

This study maps the scholarly landscape of performance management practices and succession planning with particular attention to the emerging role of cognitive bias in organizational decision-making. Despite the growing importance of structured talent development and performance evaluation systems, research in this domain remains fragmented across multiple disciplines. This includes limited integration of cognitive bias perspectives that may influence managerial judgments and succession decisions. Consequently, this fragmentation poses a challenge for scholars and practitioners in understanding the field's intellectual structure and evolution. To address this gap, this study employs a bibliometric analysis approach to systematically examine global research trends. Data were retrieved from the Scopus database using advanced search strings combining two core keyword clusters: “succession planning” and “performance.” The dataset comprises 1,346 publications spanning the period from 1970 to May 2026. The analysis was conducted using Scopus Analyzer for preliminary descriptive statistics, OpenRefine for data cleaning and standardization, and VOSviewer for science mapping and visualization of co-authorship, co-citation, and keyword co-occurrence networks. The results indicate steady and accelerating growth in publications over time, particularly after 2010, reflecting increasing scholarly attention to strategic talent management and the quality of decision-making in organizations. Keyword co-occurrence analysis reveals dominant thematic clusters around leadership development, employee performance evaluation, and decision-making processes, while emerging connections highlight the integration of behavioral perspectives, including cognitive bias. Co-authorship patterns reveal strong contributions from the United States (US), the United Kingdom (UK), and selected Asian countries, indicating a geographically diverse but unevenly distributed research network. Overall, the study concludes that while performance management and succession planning are well-established fields, incorporating cognitive bias remains underexplored yet increasingly significant. Moreover, these findings provide a comprehensive intellectual structure of the field and offer directions for future research integrating behavioral science into talent management systems.

MODERATING EFFECT OF AGING POPULATION ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN VIRTUAL TEAM COHESIVENESS AND TEAM PERFORMANCE

Ahmad Nizam Mohd Yusof — 2026-06-08

Digital communication has made it easier for people to work together by breaking down organisational borders and allowing virtual teams to form. These teams, made up of people who live in different places, rely on computer-mediated communication, which makes it harder to build trust, stay together, and work together. This study evaluates the impact of virtual team cohesiveness on team performance and explores the moderating influence of ageing demographic cohorts (Baby Boomers, Generation X, Generation Y). We used Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) to look at data from 500 Malaysian academic personnel who were teaching online. The findings demonstrate that cohesiveness, trust, and the use of information and communication technology (ICT) substantially affect performance. Additionally, generational differences influence the cohesiveness–performance relationship: younger groups gain more from cohesive interactions, whereas older groups depend more on trust and regulated communication. The results underscore age-sensitive approaches for overseeing. virtual teams.

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN VUCA AND EMPLOYEE COMPETENCIES IN MALAYSIA BANKING SECTORS: THE MEDIATING ROLE OF EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

Rozaini Sani — 2026-06-03

Employees in the Malaysian banking sector increasingly operate in a VUCA environment characterised by volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity. While employee competencies are essential for performance, they may be insufficient on their own when employees face rapid change, unclear outcomes, and intensified workplace demands. This research examines the relationship between VUCA elements and employee competencies and investigates emotional intelligence as a mediating mechanism that may strengthen employees’ adaptability and performance under such conditions. Grounded in McClelland’s Competency Model and Mayer and Salovey’s Emotional Intelligence theory, this research adopts a quantitative design using questionnaire data collected from full-time banking employees in the Klang Valley. Respondents are aged 21 years and above and have at least one year of work experience. The research highlights the practical importance of integrating competency development with emotional intelligence enhancement to support resilience, teamwork, and leadership in challenging environments. The findings offer implications for human resource practices, particularly in recruitment, performance management, and employee development initiatives. By strengthening both competencies and emotional intelligence, banking institutions can enhance workforce readiness and better respond to emerging challenges and opportunities in a VUCA context.

EXPLORING THE DYNAMICS OF LEADERSHIP STYLE IN FATONI UNIVERSITY THAILAND

Mohammad Firdaus Nizam — 2026-06-15

This study investigates the association of sustainable operations practices (SOPs) to institution’s performance in waqf management in higher education institutions with an emphasis on Fatoni University, Thailand. We systematically reviewed the literature and meta-analysed the correlations to evaluate the direction and strength of the SOP performance relationship and complemented this with qualitative insights from selected case studies. The results show a strong positive relationship, as 14 empirical relationships have found significant positive correlations. It indicates that the adoption of SOPs improves the efficiency, accountability, transparency and long-term sustainability of waqf institutions. There were an additional 12 relationships moderated by leadership style, institution’s culture, governance structure and institution’s environment which indicated that the effectiveness of SOPs depends on the internal and external institutios conditions. These results support the contingency theory that institutions effectiveness depends on the fit between the orientation of leadership and the environmental context. Limitations of the study include a small number of empirical studies that report the statistical details (correlations, effect sizes, standardized coefficients) required for robust meta-analysis. From a practitioner perspective, the study points to the importance of context sensitive leadership, governance and institutions reforms to get the best out of SOPs. This study contributes its multidimensional approach which combines quantitative meta-analysis and qualitative case evidence for a more inclusive understanding of the effect of sustainable operations practices on waqf management performance.

UNVEILING THE DRIVERS BEHIND POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS' AMBITION TO PURSUE ENTREPRENEURIAL PATHS

Mohamad Niza Md Nor — 2026-06-03

Graduate employability continues to shape higher education priorities, and entrepreneurship remains a strategic pathway for students who aspire to become future job creators. This study examines the drivers of entrepreneurial career intention among postgraduate students in selected Higher Learning Institutions in East Coast Malaysia. Four predictors are investigated: contextual factors, self-efficacy, risk-taking propensity and entrepreneurial education. A quantitative survey design was applied, and data from 182 postgraduate students were analysed using Pearson's Correlation and Multiple Regression Analyses. The results show that contextual factors, self-efficacy and entrepreneurial education significantly and positively predict entrepreneurial career intention. Self-efficacy recorded the strongest influence, indicating that students' confidence in their entrepreneurial capability is central to the formation of entrepreneurial career aspirations. Risk-taking propensity, however, did not significantly predict entrepreneurial career intention. This suggests that students' intention to pursue entrepreneurship may be shaped more by confidence, educational exposure and supportive environments than by risk orientation alone. The study offers practical implications for universities, entrepreneurship educators and policymakers in designing programmes that strengthen entrepreneurial confidence, opportunity recognition and career readiness among postgraduate students.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN CULTURAL AND ARTS MANAGEMENT: THEMES AND RESEARCH TRENDS

Siti Syarina Abdul Khalid — 2026-06-03

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as an increasingly influential force in the management, production, and governance of arts and cultural sectors, prompting growing scholarly attention across multiple disciplines. However, existing studies remain dispersed and lack a consolidated understanding of how AI is conceptualised and applied within cultural and arts management. This Systematic Literature Review (SLR) aims to map key themes and research trends in the field of Artificial Intelligence in Cultural and Arts Management by synthesising peer-reviewed journal articles published between 2020 and 2025. Guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) protocol, a systematic search was conducted using the keyword combination “Artificial Intelligence and Arts Management” across two major academic databases, namely Web of Science (WoS) and Scopus. Following a structured process of identification, screening, eligibility assessment, and quality appraisal, 27 primary studies were retained for qualitative analysis. The findings were organised through thematic synthesis, resulting in three overarching themes: (1) AI-Enabled Management and Operational Systems in Arts and Cultural Institutions, which highlights the use of AI for organisational planning, decision support, resource optimisation, and audience engagement; (2) AI, Creativity, and Cultural Production, which examines human-AI collaboration in creative processes, curation, valuation, and cultural production practices; and (3) AI, Cultural Policy, Governance, and Societal Implications, which addresses issues related to regulation, cultural labour, participation, ethics, and governance frameworks. The review reveals a dominant trend toward hybrid human-AI models that emphasise augmentation rather than replacement of human expertise, alongside increasing concern for governance, equity, and cultural sustainability. Overall, by consolidating fragmented research and identifying prevailing thematic patterns, this review provides a structured overview of current scholarship. It also highlights emerging directions for future research, practice, and policy development in cultural and arts management.

HYBRIDISING EMPLOYEE PARTICIPATION IN EMERGING ECONOMIES: A SPECIAL ECONOMIC ZONES (SEZ)–CULTURE–TECHNOLOGY FRAMEWORK IN CHINA

Yajuan Wang — 2026-06-15

This study examines the evolution and localisation of employee participation (EP) in Special Economic Zones (SEZs) in China, focusing on the interplay of institutional adaptation, cultural buffering, and technical participation competence. Using a qualitative multi-case design involving six private enterprises from manufacturing, technology, and service sectors, data were collected through semi-structured interviews, document analysis, and non-participant observation. The findings reveal three dominant participation forms—institutionalised, technology-enabled, and culturally embedded—and identify distinct archetypes that reflect differences in ownership structure, industry context, and technological readiness. The analysis demonstrates that cultural norms mediate the effectiveness of formal EP mechanisms, while employees’ digital skills significantly influence participation depth in Industry 4.0 contexts. The study advances EP theory by integrating cultural and technological dimensions into institutional frameworks and offers practical insights for managers and policymakers seeking to design contextually appropriate participation strategies in emerging economies.

CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION OF DIGITAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP: A REVIEW OF LITERATURE FOR FUTURE RESEARCH AGENDA

Azizan Abdullah — 2026-06-03

Digital entrepreneurship emerges when Artificial Intelligent (AI) becoming important agenda to the world in the 2020s. The application of AI to the industries and society have a significant impact. Global economy has undergone dramatic changes due to advance technology introduced, everyday life, society and businesses. Hugh number of businesses in the world today used AI for better performance of their organization through creativity and innovation. These creativity and innovation work hand in hand through personnel, individual or groups to think a new way of solution for problem solving. It has been utilised continuously to generate ideas among entrepreneurs and their teams for new product creation or latest method of processing. Extensive research has been conducted on creativity and innovation by scholar; however, majority of the studies focused on traditional ways of stimulating both techniques. Such traditional ways include force analogy, lateral thinking, brainstorming, brainwriting, reverse brainstorming and mind mapping. Those kinds of approaches are insufficient in the digital era in which provides new business challenges. The traditional techniques of stimulating creativity are too slow, limited scope and struggle to match the speed and complexity of the market and environment. Thus, it has been replaced and aided by technology-driven innovations, such as internet of things (IoT), virtual reality (VR) and AI. The new innovations are changing technological entrepreneurship especially when it comes to new business creation processes. AI provide crucial implications of how entrepreneurs develop, strategize and growth their companies during the entrepreneurial processes. This system is able to empower entrepreneurs of creation new opportunities, introducing new products or services through digital entrepreneurial activities. Therefore, this paper aims to examine the role of Artificial Intelligent in enhancing creativity and innovation within digital entrepreneurship.

WHICH LEAN PRACTICES DRIVE OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE? A CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK FOR THE MALAYSIAN ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY

Mohamad Shaufi Ishak — 2026-06-24

This paper develops a conceptual framework examining how six Lean Manufacturing Practices (LMPs) influence Operational Performance (OP) in the Malaysian Electrical and Electronics (E&E) industry. OP is conceptualized through cycle time, defect rate, on-time delivery, and cost efficiency. Although lean manufacturing is widely recognized as a driver of operational excellence, empirical evidence from emerging-economy manufacturing contexts remains inconsistent, suggesting that individual lean practices may not contribute equally across industrial settings. Drawing on the Resource-Based View (RBV) and the Toyota Production System (TPS), the paper proposes that Cellular Manufacturing, Pull System, Continuous Improvement, Total Quality Management, Total Productive Maintenance, and Small Lot Production exert differential influences on OP in a mature, capital-intensive industry. The Malaysian E&E context is theoretically distinctive because it combines long-standing multinational lean adoption, stringent international quality requirements, short product life cycles, and high capital intensity. Six propositions are developed to guide future empirical research. The paper contributes to lean scholarship by conceptualizing lean implementation as a portfolio of practices rather than a uniformly beneficial bundle, and by offering a context-specific framework aligned with Malaysia's National Industrial Master Plan 2030 and National Semiconductor Strategy.

INCLUSIVE LEADERSHIP AND EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT: THE MEDIATING ROLE OF PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY AND ORGANIZATIONAL COMMITMENT: A LITERATURE REVIEW

Lumatul Faizah — 2026-06-15

Employee engagement is a critical factor influencing organizational performance, innovation, and retention in contemporary work environments. Leadership plays an essential role in shaping employee engagement; however, the mechanisms through which leadership affects engagement remain insufficiently integrated. This study aims to examine how inclusive leadership influences employee engagement through the mediating roles of psychological safety and organizational commitment. Using a literature review approach, this study synthesizes prior empirical and conceptual research on leadership and employee engagement. The findings indicate that inclusive leadership characterized by ethical behavior, openness, authenticity, and support enhances employee engagement both directly and indirectly. Psychological safety enables employee voice, trust, and participation, while organizational commitment strengthens employees’ emotional attachment and loyalty, translating supportive leadership practices into sustained engagement. This study concludes that employee engagement is most effectively fostered when inclusive leadership simultaneously cultivates psychologically safe work environments and strengthens organizational commitment, offering theoretical and practical insights for sustaining employee engagement.

STUDENTS’ KNOWLEDGE AND ATTITUDE IN PRACTICING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) TOOLS FOR ACADEMIC PURPOSES

Nur Syuhada Muhammat Pazil — 2026-06-03

The increasing integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into higher education has transformed how students learn, conduct research, and complete academic tasks. In the era of rapid technological advancement, AI has become an essential element in education, transforming the way students learn, research, and complete academic tasks. However, the extent to which students understand and utilize AI tools effectively remains uncertain. Therefore, this study investigates the factors influencing knowledge and attitude in the use of AI tools for academic purposes among students in the Diploma in Mathematical Sciences program at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Arau, Perlis. Data were collected using an online questionnaire comprising four sections covering demographic profiles, knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to AI tool use. A sample of 61 students was selected using convenience sampling, and data analysis was conducted using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), employing frequency, reliability, correlation, and regression analyses. The Pearson correlation results revealed a moderate positive relationship between students’ knowledge and AI tool use, and a weak positive relationship between attitude and AI tool use. Meanwhile, the regression analysis indicated that knowledge was a significant predictor of AI tool usage. The overall model was significant, suggesting that knowledge plays a more substantial role than attitude in predicting AI use for academic purposes. The study concludes that enhancing students’ knowledge and digital literacy is crucial to encourage the responsible and effective use of AI in education. Institutions should focus on integrating AI literacy, ethical guidelines, and practical training into the curriculum to strengthen students’ academic engagement with AI tools.

SERVICE QUALITY, PERCEIVED VALUE AND TAKAFUL SUBSCRIPTION DECISIONS: THE MODERATING ROLE OF FINANCIAL LITERACY

Ahmad Tarzidi Ahmad Tamezi — 2026-06-15

Despite increasing awareness of takaful products, participation rates remain lower than expected, suggesting that awareness alone is insufficient to drive subscription decisions. Existing studies have largely examined service-related factors, perceived value, and financial capability independently, offering limited insight into how these factors jointly influence consumer behaviour. Grounded in the Theory of Planned Behavior (Ajzen, 1991), Consumer Value Theory, and Information Processing Theory, this study examines the effects of service quality and perceived value on takaful subscription decisions and investigates the moderating role of financial literacy. A quantitative research design was employed using survey data collected from 350 Malaysian consumers through convenience sampling. Data were analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) to assess both direct and moderating relationships. The findings indicate that service evaluations and perceived benefits significantly influence subscription decisions, with perceived value emerging as the strongest predictor, while financial literacy strengthens both relationships by enhancing consumers’ ability to evaluate product information and benefits. This study contributes to the literature by integrating service quality, perceived value, and financial literacy within a unified framework and demonstrating that financial literacy functions as both a direct determinant and a moderating mechanism in Islamic financial decision-making. Practically, the findings suggest that takaful operators should strengthen customer engagement, simplify product information, and communicate long-term protection benefits more effectively, while policymakers should expand targeted financial literacy initiatives to encourage greater participation in the takaful market.

MICRO-INFLUENCER PROFESSIONALISM AND CONSUMER TRUST IN MALAYSIAN COSMETIC SMES: EVIDENCE FROM INSTAGRAM USERS

Firdaus Hamdi Noor Mohd — 2026-06-08

The increasing reliance on influencer marketing has created new opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to promote products through social media platforms. However, the effectiveness of influencer promotions depends largely on how consumers perceive the professionalism and credibility of the influencer presenting the promotional content. This study investigates the relationship between perceived micro-influencer professionalism and consumer responses toward SME cosmetic brands promoted on Instagram. A quantitative survey design was employed, and data were collected from 100 Malaysian social media users who regularly engage with influencer-generated promotional content. The study examined multiple dimensions of influencer professionalism, including content accuracy, demonstration quality, transparency disclosure, professionalism and brand alignment, message consistency, engagement quality, influencer trustworthiness, and ethical expectations. Pearson correlation analysis was conducted to evaluate the relationships between these constructs and two consumer outcome variables: brand perception and purchase intention. The results indicate that all examined professionalism constructs demonstrate statistically significant positive relationships with both brand perception and purchase intention (p < 0.001). Demonstration quality and influencer trustworthiness were found to have the strongest relationships with brand perception, while ethical expectations and demonstration quality showed the strongest associations with purchase intention. These findings suggest that professional influencer communication plays a critical role in shaping consumer trust and behavioural responses in digital marketing environments. The study provides practical insights for SMEs seeking to enhance the effectiveness of influencer collaborations by prioritising professionalism and credibility in promotional strategies.

THE MODERATING ROLES OF OPENNESS TO EXPERIENCE TOWARDS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN JOB CHARACTERISTICS AND JOB ENGAGEMENT AMONG ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS AT THE MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS, MALAYSIA

Nooranizan Ariffin — 2026-06-03

Job characteristics refer to the specific aspects or features of a job that shape how employees perceive, experience, and respond to their work environment. These characteristics play a crucial role in determining employees’ levels of motivation, job satisfaction, performance, engagement and their overall intention to remain within an organization. The main objective of this study was to investigate the moderating role of the personality trait “openness to experience” on the relationship between job characteristics and job engagement among enforcement officers working under the Ministry of Home Affairs in Putrajaya, Malaysia. The study adopted a correlational quantitative design to examine the relationships among the key variables. Data were collected using a snowball sampling technique and gathered through an online questionnaire consisting of four structured sections measuring job characteristics, openness to experience, job engagement and demographic information. The hierarchical regression analysis was employed to determine both the direct and interaction effects between job characteristics and openness to experience on job engagement. The findings revealed that openness to experience significantly moderated the relationship between job characteristics and job engagement. This indicates that employees who score high in openness to experience are more likely to engage deeply with their work when their job characteristics are enriched and stimulating. The implications of this study are both theoretical and practical. By fostering a supportive and empowering work environment where employees feel valued, trusted and challenged, organizations can strengthen engagement levels, promote higher motivation, and enhance overall job performance. Ultimately, the study emphasizes that aligning job characteristics with individual personality traits, particularly openness to experience, can create a more dynamic, committed, and productive workforce.

FACTORS INFLUENCING WORK ENGAGEMENT AMONG MALAYSIAN PUBLIC UNIVERSITY ACADEMICS: THE ROLES OF JOB DEMANDS-RESOURCES

Siti Balkis Mohamed Ibrahim — 2026-06-15

This study investigates the influence of personal resources, job resources (autonomy, social support, performance feedback), and job demands (workload, emotional demand) on work engagement among academic staff in Malaysian public universities. It contributes to the Job Demand-Resources (JD-R) model by incorporating Big Five personality traits as personal resources. Employing a cross-sectional quantitative design, data were collected from 132 academic respondents using a non-probability sampling method through an online questionnaire. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics, reliability testing, normality assessment, Pearson correlation, and multiple linear regression. Results indicate that personal resources and workload significantly predict work engagement, whereas autonomy, social support, performance feedback, and emotional demand do not. The findings suggest that enhancing motivational factors across multiple dimensions is essential to sustaining academic engagement and advancing the JD-R model’s applicability within higher education contexts.

FROM SCROLL TO MOOD: A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF EMOTIONAL CONTAGION MECHANISMS ON TIKTOK AND INSTAGRAM

Azlyantiny Mohammad — 2026-06-03

Emotions have evolved significantly because of the fast development of TikTok and Instagram. Both are social media platforms, which are highly visual, algorithm-driven and can cause emotional contagion through emotional content, interaction and recommender systems. Although the area has gained some attention from the research community, more scholarly research is scattered throughout various disciplines and is lacking in synthesis of how the mechanisms of emotional contagion work in these platforms. The study aims to systematically review and synthesize the literature on emotional contagion mechanisms on TikTok and Instagram, which covers key concepts, thematic relationships, influential scholarly work, and emerging research trends. The literature retrieval was carried out using Scopus AI as a supporting analytical tool in literature retrieval, literature exploration, concept mapping and identification of experts in a systematic literature review approach. To understand the emotional contagion in social media environment, summary and expanded summary analysis, concept map analysis, topic experts’ analysis, and emerging themes analysis were performed. To ensure a rigorous analysis and transparency in the interpretation and synthesis of findings, the authors have undertaken this work. The results show that emotional contagion in TikTok and Instagram is influenced by emotional mimicry, emotional synchronisation, social influence, algorithmic amplification, social comparison, and network-based interaction. In Instagram, users engage with their emotions through immersive visual curation and self-presentation, as well as through algorithmic acceleration, whereas on TikTok, users engage with their emotions through immersive short video exposure and algorithmic acceleration. Themes that emerge show that digital well-being issues, influencers and emotional contagion, algorithmic influence, and collective emotional climates are now increasingly becoming a central concern in online communities. This review makes a significant contribution to the scholarship of emotional contagion by combining a behavioural, communication and technological approach and offering recommendations for researchers, platform developers, policy makers and educators interested in creating healthier and more responsible digital spaces.

KEBEBASAN BERSUARA MENURUT AL-QURAN: ANALISIS TAFSIR MAWDU'I DAN ISU KONTEMPORARI DI MALAYSIA

Mohamad Murad Mahyudin Muheji — 2026-06-03

Kebebasan bersuara merupakan hak asasi yang diiktiraf oleh Islam namun perbincangan tentang batasannya dalam konteks Malaysia masih kurang berpandukan analisis teks al-Quran secara sistematik. Kajian ini mengkaji kebebasan bersuara menurut al-Quran melalui pendekatan tafsir mawdu'i, menganalisis batasannya melalui kes G25 Malaysia dan Sisters in Islam serta menilai kesesuaian kerangka wasatiyyah sebagai penyelesaian. Kajian ini menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif melalui analisis dokumen dengan menghimpunkan ayat-ayat al-Quran berkaitan tema kebebasan bersuara daripada kitab-kitab tafsir muktabar iaitu Al-Tabari, Ibn Kathir, Al-Zuhayli dan Quraish Shihab. Analisis tematik Braun dan Clarke turut digunakan untuk menilai kes-kes kontemporari yang berkaitan. Dapatan kajian mengenal pasti tiga kelompok prinsip kebebasan bersuara dalam al-Quran iaitu kelompok pengiktirafan hak bersuara, kelompok etika bersuara dan kelompok hikmah dalam berdialog. Analisis terhadap kes G25 dan Sisters in Islam mendapati bahawa kedua-dua pertubuhan ini mempunyai sandaran yang sah dalam kerangka al-Quran untuk menyuarakan pandangan mereka namun cara penyampaian dan metodologi yang digunakan turut menentukan kesahan hak bersuara tersebut dari sudut Islam. Kajian ini menyimpulkan bahawa kerangka wasatiyyah berpotensi menjadi landasan penyelesaian yang seimbang dan berpandukan wahyu dalam menangani ketegangan berkaitan hak bersuara di Malaysia. Kajian ini menyumbang kepada literatur sedia ada dengan menggabungkan pendekatan tafsir mawdu'i, kerangka wasatiyyah dan analisis kes kebebasan bersuara dalam konteks sosio-perundangan Malaysia secara bersepadu.

Freedom of expression is a fundamental right recognised by Islam, yet discussions on its boundaries in the Malaysian context remain insufficiently grounded in systematic Qur'anic textual analysis. This study examines freedom of expression according to the Qur'an through the thematic exegesis approach, analyses its boundaries through the cases of G25 Malaysia and Sisters in Islam, and evaluates the suitability of the wasatiyyah framework as a resolution to existing tensions. A qualitative approach through document analysis was employed, gathering Qur'anic verses related to the theme of freedom of expression from authoritative exegetical works including Al-Tabari, Ibn Kathir, Wahbah al-Zuhayli and Quraish Shihab. Thematic analysis by Braun and Clarke was also utilised to evaluate relevant contemporary cases. The findings identify three clusters of principles governing freedom of expression in the Qur'an, namely recognition of speech rights, ethics of expression, and wisdom in dialogue. Analysis of the two cases reveals that both organisations are grounded in Qur'anic principles in voicing their views, although the manner of expression and methodology employed also determine the legitimacy of that right from an Islamic perspective. This study concludes that the wasatiyyah framework holds potential as a balanced framework grounded in Qur'anic guidance for addressing tensions related to freedom of expression in Malaysia. This study contributes to existing literature by integrating thematic exegesis, the wasatiyyah framework, and case analysis of freedom of expression within the Malaysian socio-legal context.

DESTINATION BRAND EXPERIENCE IN TOURISM RESEARCH: A THEMATIC REVIEW AND FUTURE RESEARCH AGENDA

Wei Jiao — 2026-06-15

Destination brand experience (DBE) has become a central construct in tourism marketing, capturing tourists’ sensory, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral responses to destination brands. Despite growing interest, no review has examined the conceptual development and empirical findings specific to DBE. This paper conducts a thematic review of 42 studies published between 1996 and 2025, synthesizing current knowledge across five themes: conceptualization and dimensional structure, theoretical foundations, antecedents, outcomes and consequences, and methodological approaches. The four-dimensional framework (sensory, affective, behavioral, intellectual) from Brakus et al. (2009) remains dominant, though relational and spiritual dimensions are gaining attention. The Stimulus-Organism-Response model and Social Exchange Theory are the most applied lenses, yet many studies lack explicit theoretical grounding. A clear gap exists between extensive outcome research and limits antecedent investigation. An integrative framework and seven-point future research agenda are proposed. This review provides the first dedicated synthesis of DBE research, offering guidance for scholars and destination marketers.