Journal of Nusantara Studies (JONUS) (Journal of UniSZA - Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin)
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Exploring gender differences in using metadiscourse for political opinion writing
Get PDFBackground and Purpose: Metadiscourse marker is one of the most commonly-used linguistic devices in persuasive writing, and it shapes writer’s arguments to the needs and expectations of the target readers. Research has consistently shown that women, on average, are less politically interested, informed, and efficacious than men. However, this does not necessarily imply that male columnists are more persuasive than female columnists when writing political opinion articles. Hence, the present study aims to investigate how male and female columnists use metadiscourse markers in political opinion writing to effectively direct their political views toward their readers.
Methodology: This descriptive study used frequency analysis, comparative analysis, and a semi-structured interview with eight ardent readers to examine metadiscourse markers used by male and female columnists in their political opinion articles, as well as the impact of persuasion on their readers. 100 opinion articles about Malaysia's 14th general election were chosen from two English-language online newspaper portals in Malaysia, The Star and the New Straits Times.
Findings: The findings revealed that female columnists employed more metadiscourse markers than male columnists. Respondents concluded that articles with more metadiscourse markers used in the text, particularly in the interpersonal category, appeared to be more persuasive. Furthermore, the findings indicated that female columnists presented a more convincing image than those produced by male columnists.
Contributions: As research conducted on gender differences in political writing is still rare, this research provided information regarding gender preferences in using metadiscourse markers in political opinion articles. This study contributes to the body of knowledge by informing researchers and opinion writers about the many types of metadiscourse markers that may be used to establish rapport between writers and readers.
Keywords: Metadiscourse markers, persuasive writing, gender, male, female, political-opinion articles
The impact of extrinsic motivation and work-life balance on generation Y’s contentment of private sectors in Bangladesh
Get PDFBackground and Purpose: Generation Y employees often have frequent job dissatisfaction with the private sector, causing job-hopping. Dissatisfaction has been identified as being related to problems in the workplace and the family. Since the problems have not been highlighted much, this paper aims to investigate the impact of Work-Life Balance (WLB) on Generation Y's job satisfaction in Bangladesh's private sectors.
Methodology: This descriptive case study adopted a quantitative method to reach the research objectives. It used Smart Partial Least Square (PLS) to empirically test the model and mediating effects of the extrinsic motivational factors between work-life balance and job satisfaction. Data was collected through survey questionnaires with 24 items adopted from the previous studies; six from work-life balance, six from job satisfaction, and twelve from extrinsic motivation. A total of 500 usable samples were collected randomly from small private entrepreneur industries in Bangladesh.
Findings: The results showed a significant positive relationship between work-life balance, job satisfaction, and extrinsic motivation of Generation Y. In the case of ascertaining the mediating effect, the extrinsic factors are substantial. However, the proposed strategies for Gen Y’s job satisfaction and the mediating effects of extrinsic motivational factors have not been investigated in the Bangladeshi context or any other context.
Contributions: The findings and recommendations of this manuscript are valuable to the relevant parties, especially the stakeholders in the private sector. The government, leadership, and management are more likely to understand employees' job satisfaction among Generation Y in this study. The research outcomes help formulate and redesign job satisfaction strategies for organizational productivity and overall success. The study contributes to the body of knowledge by identifying the causal relationships of WLB, extrinsic motivational factors, and employees' job satisfaction among Generation Y.
Keywords: Extrinsic motivation, generation Y, job satisfaction, work-life balance
Money laundering framework for professional accountants: Post Covid-19
Get PDFThe COVID-19 pandemic has sparked global challenges, economic disruption, and increased related crimes, such as scams, fraud, and cybercrime. It has also changed the routines of individuals, businesses, and governments in combating financial crimes, especially professional accountants. As front-liners in the anti-money laundering (AML) regime, professional accountants play a vital role in combating financial crime, including money laundering activities that have risen during the pandemic. However, limited studies have investigated the money laundering reporting framework for professional accountants. Hence, this study aims to investigate the money laundering framework for professional accountants that suits the post-pandemic period. This paper focuses on the current red flags for money laundering activities, specifically for professional accountants, as mentioned in prior literature and publicly available reports such as the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), ICAEW, and ACCA Global. Since this study focuses on the money laundering framework for professional accountants, this study also referred to the MIA Competency Framework, which highlights the importance of professional scepticism and professional judgement. Professional accountants must exercise high professional scepticism and judgement when dealing with money laundering risk indicators related to related party transactions, beneficial ownership and e-commerce activities. This is to provide quality reporting to the authorities and to proceed with money laundering investigations. This paper contributes to the regulators and professional accountants by proposing a money laundering framework for professional accountants that would assist them in fulfilling their role as money laundering reporting entities.
Keywords: Money laundering, professional accountants, professional scepticism, professional judgment, Covid-19 endemic
Trustworthiness, expertise and likeability towards halal purchasing behaviour: Does attitude matter?
Get PDFBackground and Purpose: Consumers prefer to review products and services through social media platforms before purchasing them. Consequently, social media influencers have become essential for advertising and reviewing products and services. Credible sources of information using persuasive messages are deemed as influential in the purchasing behaviours of consumers concerning products and services, especially among Gen Z. This paper examines the factors of social media influencers in the purchasing behaviour towards halal food products among Muslim Gen Z in Malaysia.
Methodology: This study employs a quantitative research design using a non-probability sampling technique to select 226 Muslim Gen Z respondents in Malaysia. Data was collected through face-to-face and online questionnaires and analyzed using SPSS, incorporating descriptive analysis, reliability tests, regression, and mediation analysis. The Smart-PLS approach was applied to examine the mediating role of attitude in the relationship between influencer attributes and purchasing behavior.
Findings: Findings show that social media influencer trustworthiness, expertise and likeability could affect consumers’ attitudes and behaviours towards halal food products. Attitude plays a vital role as a mediator in the relationship of social media influencers' trustworthiness, expertise, and likeability towards purchasing behaviour towards halal food products among Muslim Gen Z in Malaysia.
Contribution: This study's findings are expected to contribute to marketing theory and the concepts of consumer behaviours, especially among Gen Z, towards halal food products in Malaysia.
Keywords: Social media influencer, purchasing behaviour, halal food products, Muslim, Gen z
Heuristic analysis of the native language curriculum of successful countries in PISA and Turkey by using ANFIS
Get PDFBackground and Purpose: This study analyzes the native language curricula of countries that consistently perform well in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) by employing the Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS). It aims to evaluate the relationship between learning outcomes in listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills and PISA results, providing insights into curriculum effectiveness.
Methodology: A convergent parallel mixed-method approach was adopted, combining document analysis and statistical modelling using ANFIS. The study examined learning outcomes and codes associated with language skills from the curricula of selected countries and compared these with PISA scores to identify correlations and trends.
Findings: The results indicate that coupled relationships between specific language skills, such as reading and writing, have a stronger influence on PISA performance compared to implementing all skills simultaneously. Countries with fewer learning outcomes, such as Singapore, demonstrate higher PISA scores, suggesting that quality and strategic focus in curriculum design outweigh sheer quantity of outcomes.
Contributions: This study introduces ANFIS as an effective tool for analyzing and optimizing native language curricula. It provides valuable recommendations for enhancing accountability, alignment, and efficiency in language education programs. The findings contribute to the development of curricula that align with international benchmarks, supporting educational systems in achieving higher academic performance.
Keywords: ANFIS, native language curriculum, artificial intelligence modelling techniques, successful countries, PISA
Technology adoption, self-efficacy and entrepreneurial business success
Get PDFBackground and Purpose: The success and demise of a business venture continuously fascinates the attention of many. Specifically, when it relates to micro-entrepreneurs as they are very vulnerable to business failures. Despite many struggles, there are few who succeed. Intrigued with this scenario, the researchers aim to look for factors that lead to the success of micro-entrepreneurs in their business ventures. Following the Social Cognitive Theory and earlier research, the present study predicts that technology adoption and self-efficacy will influence entrepreneurial business success. Additionally, this study posits that self-efficacy mediates the relationship between technology adoption and entrepreneurial business success.
Methodology: The research employed a survey technique using a quantifiable method. The researchers distributed 350 questionnaires to low-income micro-entrepreneurs in Kelantan, Malaysia. Two hundred forty-five people responded, but only 240 data proceeded for further analysis. The research used SPSS and AMOS version 26 to analyse the data gathered.
Findings: Results indicated that both variables, namely entrepreneurial self-efficacy and technology adoption, significantly influenced business success. Additionally, the results indicated that entrepreneurial self-efficacy significantly mediated the relationship between technology adoption and entrepreneurial business success.
Contributions: The discoveries provide valuable insights to policy makers, poverty agencies, micro-entrepreneurs and the likes in formulating strategies and intervention programs for entrepreneurial success. Indeed, successful entrepreneurs are crucial in elevating the social status of the poor and eradicating national poverty. In addition, it realises the Sustainable Development Goals’ agendas that all states in Malaysia are free from poverty by 2030.
Keywords: Business success factors, micro entrepreneurs, self-efficacy, technology adoption
Information technology capabilities and enterprise resilience of state-owned enterprises for sustainable competitiveness: The mediating role of leadership capabilities
Get PDFBackground and Purpose: Business resilience depends on the ability to gather and process resources to handle environmental uncertainty. Enterprises should use information, knowledge, experiences, and other resources to build resilience. This study applies the concept of dynamic capability to assess the impact of Information Technology Capabilities (ITCs) on Indonesian SOEs and their subsidiaries. Additionally, this study investigates Leadership Capabilities (LCs) as a mediator between Information Technology Capabilities (ITCs) and Enterprise Resilience (ER).
Methodology: The study examined 322 valid data from online surveys using questionnaires to Indonesia SOEs and their subsidiaries’ board of directors and senior management. The data was analysed using SmartPLS 3.
Findings: The research demonstrates that information technology capabilities (ITCs) enhance Enterprise Resilience (ER). Leadership Capabilities (LCs) improved the enterprise's resiliency. The relationship between Information Technology Capabilities (ITCs) and Enterprise Resilience (ER) is mediated through Leadership capabilities (LCs).
Contributions: The findings may expand the scope of dynamic capability theory to include resilience. The findings extend the methodology by adopting a quantitative and online survey of SOEs in emerging countries and demonstrate to SOE management and regulators that ER can be fostered by strengthening dynamic capabilities and risk management practices. The findings recommend that policymakers develop a road map, scenario, and strategies to ensure the long-term viability of SOEs.
Keywords: Dynamic capabilities, enterprise resilience, Indonesia, information technology capabilities, leadership capabilities, state-owned enterprises
Teacher self-efficacy as a mediator of the relationship between emotional competence and preschool teachers’ commitment
Get PDFBackground and Purpose: Since preschool education is the cornerstone of change and overall development of children, it is a very important phase that prepares them before they enter the school world. Thus, the development and expansion of preschool programs need to be given further attention and improvement of the quality of services to the community. Teachers' emotional competence and self-efficacy are closely related to teacher commitment. Therefore, it is important for us to identify the relationship between preschool teachers’ emotional competence and teachers' commitment as well as to investigate the mediating effect of teachers’ self-efficacy to perform their role toward developing children's potential holistically. This study aims to examine the mediating effect of teachers’ self-efficacy between the relationship of emotional competence and self-efficacy of teachers with the commitment of preschool teachers in the state of Selangor, Malaysia. This study was based on the Emotional Competency Theory developed by Goleman (2001), the Self-Efficacy Model by Tschannen-Moran and Hoy (2001) as well as the Teacher Commitment Model by Thien et al. (2014).
Methodology: The methodology used was a survey study involving 428 preschool teachers in the state of Selangor who were selected through cluster sampling and convenient sampling to answer a set of questionnaire through Google Forms. The instrument was validated by six experts and a pilot study was conducted on 75 samples of preschool teachers in the Klang district. Data collected were analyzed quantitatively using IBM SPSS V23.0 & Smart-PLS 3.0.
Findings: The results of structural model analysis showed that the relationship between emotional competence, self-efficacy and commitment was positively significant and teacher self-efficacy served as a partially mediating effect in the relationship between emotional competence and teacher commitment.
Contributions: The previous studies of emotional competence, self-efficacy, and commitment were in the field of education in general and did not focus on preschool education. Based on the issues and long-term implications of the quality of preschool education, this study provided an improved new model to fill the research gap in the field of early childhood education to improve the quality of continuing education.
Keywords: Commitment, early childhood education, emotional competence, mediator, preschool teacher, self-efficacy
Exploring Malaysian public universities Japanese language students' views on the effects of LGBT elements in anime and manga
Get PDFBackground and Purpose: Anime and manga have drawn a global audience and become popular in a wide range of genres, including in Malaysia. These two popular cultures occasionally include LGBT elements in their storylines. This article examines Malaysian university students' views on LGBT elements in anime and manga. The specific objectives were to (1) identify anime and manga that incorporate LGBT elements, which are consumed by university students in Malaysia, and (2) investigate their views on the effects of consuming these materials.
Methodology: Online Google survey forms were distributed to students studying the Japanese language at five public universities in Malaysia. In these universities, Japanese is offered as an elective or part of a core course and is taken by students from various faculties. 280 students responded to the survey. However, only data from 150 respondents was analysed. There were 56 (37%) male and 94 (63%) female respondents.
Findings: 34 (22.7%) respondents mentioned anime and manga titles that have LGBT elements, with some titles fitting under the LGBT genre. According to 96 (64%) of respondents, consuming anime and manga with LGBT elements has negative consequences, including the normalisation of the LGBT concept, which may lead to individuals identifying themselves as part of the LGBT community, excessive sexual content, going against the norm, the extinction of humans, and becoming anime and manga addicts. In contrast, 37 (24.7%) respondents believe consuming such materials has a positive effect. This group argues that, despite the controversial LGBT elements, anime and manga promote positive ideals in their storylines while also raising awareness of LGBT communities.
Contributions: This study reveals that the consumption of anime and manga featuring LGBT elements has an impact on the acceptance of the LGBT concept among Malaysian youth, despite its contradiction with the religious and cultural values of local communities.
Keywords: Anime, manga, LGBT, Malaysia, Public university students
The contributions of classical scholars to the theory of maqāṣid al-Sharī‘ah
Get PDFBackground and Purpose: Several classical scholars who contributed to developing the theory of the maqāṣid al-sharīʿah are overlooked in the contemporary studies of maqāṣid. Most contemporary studies focused on al-Juwaynī, al-Ghazālī and al-Shāṭibī. However, studying a theory requires investigating all the classical works that pioneered the theory without discrimination. This could provide new insights for the study of maqāṣid. This paper addresses this oversight by reviewing the works of early maqāṣid scholars, how much attention contemporary studies have paid to those scholars’ contribution, and suggests directions for future research.
Methodology: This study used the qualitative content analysis technique to identify the scholars who contributed to the theory of maqāṣid al-sharīʿah via a thorough reading of the history of the maqāṣid al-sharīʿah as found in contemporary literature. To trace the available studies conducted on the classical scholars and gaps in the literature, the researchers examined the catalogues, indexes, and lists collected. This study encompassed scholars who lived between the 2nd and 13th centuries when the philosophy of the maqāṣid al-Sharīʿah evolved.
Findings: The theorisation of maqāṣid al-Sharīʿah was initiated by al-ʿĀmirī, formalised by al-Juwaynī followed by al-Ghazālī and crystallised by al-Shāṭibī. Moreover, several other scholars contributed to the development of the theory even though they did not document their works as books. Nonetheless, most contemporary studies are confined to studying the works of the famous three scholars mentioned earlier.
Contributions: It is expected that the research gap identified in this paper pertaining to studying the works of classical maqāṣid scholars may serve as a springboard for future studies in this field. Most importantly, investigating the works of Imām Abū Ḥanīfah, al-Rāghib al-Aṣfahānī, Abū Zayd al-Balakhī, Abū Bakr al-Jaṣṣāṣ, Abul Ḥasan Al-ʿĀmirī, al-Qāḍī ʿAbdul Jabbār al-Hamadhānī, Abū ‘Abdullāh Muḥammad ʿAbdur Raḥmān al-Bukhārī, Ibn Khaldūn and al-Shawkānī may offer fresh perspectives on the understanding of maqāṣid al-sharīʿah.
Keywords: Maqāṣid al-Sharīʿah, classical scholars, contemporary studies, Islamic jurisprudence, research gap