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The effects of technology anxiety and brand trust on the relationship between brand management's elements and brand loyalty: Malaysian car consumer's perspective
No full textDoctor of Philosophy in ManagementDespite the common perception and various researches in the area of brand management-brand loyalty, findings on the relationship between these variables are rather conflicting. Links between brand management’s elements (product quality,
service quality, brand value and brand image) and brand loyalty which is moderated and mediated by technology anxiety and brand trust are not comprehensively understandable. Therefore, there is a need to investigate ways in which brand loyalty
can be empirically measured in order for researchers to effectively analyse the key variables related to it. The current study attempted to bridge this existing gap by developing an effective brand loyalty measurement and model. Grasped within the
foundation of marketing and brand management literature, this investigation developed
a conceptual model that explains the relationships between brand management’s
elements and brand loyalty. A meta-analysis technique was employed in this
investigation to statistically identify the magnitude and the direction of relationships in
a single model based on literature reviewed. The investigation employed such theories
(Kano model, Technology Acceptance Model 2, Car Technology Acceptance Model
and Choice theory) to measure the interrelationship between brand mangement’s
elements and brand loyalty. The objectives of the investigation are: 1) to evaluate the
direct effects of brand management’s elements on brand loyalty; 2) to investigate the
direct effects of brand management’s element on brand loyalty moderated by
technology anxiety; 3) to investigate the indirect effects of brand management’s
elements on brand loyalty mediated by brand trust. Based on the proposed model,
twelve hypotheses were developed with seven latent variables. Conducting a survey and
a pilot test, the measurements were refined and the questionnaire used for the main
study was developed. Data was analysed using 205 procured surveys. A structural
equation modelling approach using partial least squares (PLS) method was employed to
evaluate the measurements and the structural model and to test the research hypotheses
and relationships among the latent constructs. The results indicated that although the
relationships between the research constructs exist, not all relationships were
significantly strong. Brand management’s elements were found to directly influence
brand loyalty and technology anxiety was found to moderate the link between product
quality and brand image with brand loyalty. The results also indicated the critical
mediating effect of brand trust between brand management’s elements and brand
loyalty. The investigation compared the meta-analysis results, obtained from
independent empirical studies, with the field study results, which were obtained from
surveying passenger car consumers. This investigation contributes to academicians and
practitioners through the establishment of theoretical, practical and policy development.
The investigation addressed the existing gap in the literature, and attempts to resolve the
existing mixed views on the studied concepts by examining technology anxiety among
car’s consumers. This investigation indicated the need to expand this area of research
further by examining the investigated relationship with the influence of other factors to
establish brand loyalty in a similar and/or different context of study
Appromating the temperatures profiles for human skin tissue layers during heat wave using finite difference method
No full textMaster of Science in Engineering MathematicsIn 2016, Malaysia was stricken by a bad heat wave. Since today, there were no study
yet on the effect of heat wave in Malaysia to human skin tissue layers. Therefore this
study presents a Finite Difference Method application to the thermal study of three
layers of human skin tissue namely epidermis, dermis and subcutaneous tissue. Pennes’
bioheat equation used to represent the thermal distribution in human skin tissue layers.
It is assumed that the surface of the skin expose to different surrounding temperature.
Finite difference method is used to approximate the temperatures profiles for human
skin tissue layers with the help of MATLAB software. The calculation showed an
expected result which is surrounding temperature does effect the temperature
distribution in human skin tissue layers. At each 10℃ increase in surrounding
temperature, the temperature in epidermis, dermis and subcutaneous tissue will increase
around 0.9℃, 0.8℃ and 0.4℃, respectively.In 2016, Malaysia was stricken by a bad heat wave. Since today, there were no study
yet on the effect of heat wave in Malaysia to human skin tissue layers. Therefore this
study presents a Finite Difference Method application to the thermal study of three
layers of human skin tissue namely epidermis, dermis and subcutaneous tissue. Pennes’
bioheat equation used to represent the thermal distribution in human skin tissue layers.
It is assumed that the surface of the skin expose to different surrounding temperature.
Finite difference method is used to approximate the temperatures profiles for human
skin tissue layers with the help of MATLAB software. The calculation showed an
expected result which is surrounding temperature does effect the temperature
distribution in human skin tissue layers. At each 10℃ increase in surrounding
temperature, the temperature in epidermis, dermis and subcutaneous tissue will increase
around 0.9℃, 0.8℃ and 0.4℃, respectively
Effect of various carbon coating techniques on the electrochemical performance of Li4Ti5O12 synthesized by Sol-Gel method
Get PDFLink to publisher's homepage at http://ijneam.unimap.edu.my/This study aimed to prepare spinel carbon-coated Li4Ti5O12 (LTO/C) via sol-gel reaction and
applied as a high-performance lithium-ion battery anode. The LTO powder was coated using
various carbon sources, super P (SP), sugar and PVDF-assisted SP. The crystal structure,
morphology, conductivity and electrochemical performance of the samples were examined
using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Field Emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM),
Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy
(EIS) and Cyclic Voltammetry/Charge-discharge (CV/CD), respectively. The XRD analysis
results showed that the samples contain highly crystalline spinel LTO as the main phase and
rutile as impurity. The FESEM image showed that SP covers the entire LTO surface more
homogenous than sugar. However, sugar carbon makes roughness on the LTO surface. FTIR
spectra showed that the coating using sugar and PVDF still contain hydrocarbon element.
Electrochemical performance evaluations showed that SP carbon-coated-LTO possesses
higher lithium diffusion and specific capacity than pure LTO, while sugar-coated-LTO shows
the lowest specific capacity. Moreover, the SP carbon-coated-LTO sample high-rate
capability has improved during full cell evaluation, delivering a discharge capacity of 249,
231, 211, 194, 58, and 23 mAhg-1 at the charge or discharge current density of 0.05, 0.1, 0.5,
1, 5, and 10 C, respectively
New comprehensive stability and sensitivity analysis on Graphene nanoribbon interconnects parameters
Get PDFLink to publisher's homepage at http://ijneam.unimap.edu.my/Based on the transmission line modeling for multilayer graphene nanoribbon (MGNR)
interconnects, system stability was studied on intrinsic parameters. In addition to width,
length and height variation, dielectric constant, permeability and Fermi velocity path
change in multilayer graphene nanoribbon (MGNR) interconnects are analyzed. In this
paper, the obtained results show with increasing dielectric constant and decreasing
permeability, Fermi velocity system becomes more stable. Nyquist diagram and step
response method results confirm these and are matched with physical parameter variation
like resistance, capacitance and inductance in the following sensitivity analysis results where
it shows with increasing width and length, sensitivity will decrease and increase respectively.
Impulse response diagram results show with increasing 50% width, sensitivity will be zero
but with increasing 50% length, amplitude will decrease and the time of setting will increase.
On the other hand, from the step response of the transfer function, both width and length
increase cause more stability for a system but the width parameter will be a better choice
for manipulating the dimension of MGNR to reach a stable system
