147 research outputs found
Profit-Sharing Deposit Accounts in Islamic Banking: Analysing the Perceptions and Attitudes of the Malaysian Depositors
No full textIslamic banking deposits are fundamentally structured in a different way than the conventional banking deposits. Each type of Islamic banking deposits, such as savings, demand, and timed deposits, is devised using the approved Shari’ah contracts such as qard, wadiah, murabahah, and mudarabah. These contracts are opposed to the conventional concepts, as they are based on the concept of a ‘lender-borrower’ relationship. In addition, the Shari’ah-approved contracts are unique as they feature a different nature of risk and return. This is especially the case for mudarabah contracts (henceforth referred to as profit-sharing contracts). The uniqueness of profit-sharing contracts in deposit products has been given due recognition in theory and also in practice, as most of the Islamic banks in Malaysia offered this product. In addition, the unique features and characteristics of profit-sharing based deposit accounts are also highlighted in the prudential standards issued by prominent regulatory bodies such as AAOIFI and IFSB which, have been adopted by the Bank Negara Malaysia (Central Bank of Malaysia).
Nevertheless, it is argued by many Islamic banks practitioners, especially in Malaysia, that the concept of profit-sharing in deposits products is not practical in reality, because the depositors do not behave according to, nor accept the principles that have been laid down in the Shari’ah. Thus it is argued that both the depositors and the Islamic bankers have treated the product similar to any other conventional banking deposits products.
The main aim of this study, hence, is to explore and examine the level of awareness, knowledge, perceptions, and attitude of the Islamic banking depositors in Malaysia towards characteristics of profit-sharing deposits accounts in accordance with the fundamental Shari’ah principles but also the regulations prevailing. In addition, this research also attempts to explore the significant determinant factors that encourage the depositors to engage with Islamic banking deposits accounts in general and profit-sharing deposits accounts in particular.
In fulfilling the aim of the study, primary data collection research was adopted through a survey questionnaire technique. The questionnaires were distributed to eight Islamic banks representing various types of Islamic banks in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor. The questionnaire asked various pertinent questions, which intended to elicit the depositors’ opinions, perceptions, and attitudes towards the unique characteristics of profit-sharing contract as specified in Shari’ah muamalah principles. The characteristics among others are: (i) concept of uncertain deposits returns; (ii) concept of non-guarantee for the deposits; (iii) concept of profit equalization reserve. A total 649 of the returned questionnaires were complete and fit for analysis purpose. The data were analysed using various statistical analysis techniques ranging from simple frequency distribution analysis to the more advanced analyses such as non-parametric statistical analysis, factor analysis, and logistic regression.
In general, the results of the study show that the level of awareness of the need to have Islamic banking deposits accounts because of religious reasons is considered as high among the Malaysian depositors. Nevertheless, the results also indicate that a high level of awareness is not being translated into a high level of understanding concerning the objectives of the products which are structured in accordance to the Shari’ah-compliant contracts. This can be seen in the major findings of this study: the characteristics of profit-sharing contracts, which arguably are the most desirable Shari’ah-compliant contracts, are not acceptable to the depositors. This indirectly implies that they are still strongly influenced by the nature of conventional banking products. In addition, the logistics regression results further proved that related factors (‘financial services’ and ‘income’) emerged as the main determinants in creating demand for profit-sharing deposits accounts.
The results of the research should draw the attention of the Islamic bankers and also the regulators to finding ways for improving the level of understanding among the depositors. However, the critical successful factor in educating the depositors is highly dependent on the level of knowledge exhibited by the Islamic bankers themselves, which can be a real concern as highlighted by the findings of this study
Dataset for Beyond a child's play
No full textIn the realm of mobile gaming, users often steer clear of in-game advertisements due to the disruptions they introduce. Nevertheless, game developers and advertisers are keen on enhancing ad acceptance. This study undertakes an empirical examination to validate the theoretical link between gaming experience and the avoidance of in-game mobile advertisements. It delves into the parallel, serial, and conditional mediation effects that come into play. Furthermore, this research probes the interaction effect of the fear of COVID-19 on the connection between gaming experience and one's attitude towards games. The data for this study is derived from 508 Generation Z respondents in Pakistan who are regular mobile gamers. Analysis is conducted using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings reveal that gaming experience indirectly influences ad avoidance through the mediation of attitudes towards both advertisements and game apps. Notably, the fear of COVID-19 moderates the relationships between attitudes towards games, attitudes towards advertisements, and in-game ad avoidance. Additionally, it is important to acknowledge that the study has limitations, including the regional and generational focus of the sample. These findings have significant implications for advertisers, game developers, and researchers, offering insights into the dynamics of ad avoidance in mobile gaming environments, while considering the unique context of COVID-19 and the need for personalized advertising strategies.</p
The Impact of Brand Experience on Customer Citizenship Behavior among Airlines’ Passengers: An Examination of the Mediating Roles of Brand Relationship Quality, Affective Commitment, and Brand Loyalty.
No full textThis study investigates the significance of brand experience in deciding customer citizenship behavior with the mediating roles of brand relationship quality, affective commitment, and brand loyalty for airline passengers of 20 international airline brands operating on international routes to and from Pakistan. The stimulus-organism-response model served as an overarching theory for the conceptual model. However, social exchange and brand relationship theories also helped explain the interaction among study constructs. This cross-sectional survey research followed the positivist research philosophy. This study used quota and purposive sampling techniques. Thereby, three major cities: Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad, yielded 395 credible responses from international air travelers of Pakistani descent. PLS-SEM is used to evaluate structural model relationships between constructs. This study demonstrates the significance of the direct relationship between brand experience and customer citizenship behavior, with the multiple and serial mediation effects of brand relationship quality, affective commitment, and brand loyalty in the relationship between brand experience and customer citizenship behavior. The findings show that brand experience has a robust direct effect on customer citizenship behavior. Other significant direct effects include the impact of brand experience on brand loyalty and the effect of brand relationship quality on customer citizenship behavior. The significant mediating relationships include the mediating role of brand relationship quality between brand experience and brand loyalty, the mediation effect of brand loyalty between brand experience and customer citizenship behavior, and the mediating role of brand loyalty in the relationship between brand relationship quality and customer citizenship behavior. This study made a significant theoretical contribution to the larger body of knowledge by extending the S-O-R model and the brand relationship theory. This study will help brand managers implement campaigns to capture airline passengers’ experiences. It will help future studies understand the use of hierarchical component models in SEM and operationalize brand experience construct in the airline industry context
The influence of high-quality workplace relational systems and mindfulness on employee work engagement at the time of crises
No full textWorkplace relational systems move the organizational processes therefore, the influence on employee work behavior is inevitable. Drawing on the relational systems and broaden & build theory, this study aimed to examine the impact of high-quality workplace relational systems and trait of mindfulness on employee work engagement. This study also posits that psychological capital mediates this relationship and negative affectivity plays a moderating role. Data was collected from 331 employees associated with the public and private sectors. PLS-SEM, Higher Component Modeling technique employed to analyze the data. Results showed a positive association between high-quality workplace relational systems and mindfulness with employee work engagement. Data also support the mediating role of psychological capital. This study contributes to understanding the internal mechanism of how workplace relational systems and mindfulness affect work engagement through mediating effect of psychological capital. The findings of this study showed that high-quality workplace relational systems and mindfulness are workplace factors that induce employees' work engagement. The present study advances the knowledge on the flourishment of the work environment. The findings of this study also contribute to further focusing research on the relational work environment in its response to employee behavioral dimension
Take it on the Chin! Advertising Acceptance on Mobile Platforms- A Review of Literature
No full textThis study aims to consolidate existing literature results through a systematic review to develop a comprehensive conceptual framework. This study followed Pollock and Berge's (2018) six-stage methods of the systematic review to achieve the aims. Bibliometric and content analysis was conducted using 48 articles collected from six databases: Science Direct, Emerald Insight, Wiley online Library, Sage Pub, Springer Link, and Taylor & Francis. The content analysis reveals three major categories of the antecedent: advert attributes, personal factors, and environmental factors that affect mobile advertising value, attitude, and acceptance. The differences in the factors leading to mobile advertising acceptance are observed across different age groups, regions, advertising types, and cultures. The study concludes with theoretical implications and future research directions. The study highlights some of the regions and mobile advertising contexts where further research is needed. These consolidated findings are useful for advertisers in planning future mobile advertising campaigns.  
A critical analysis of Mudarabah & a new approach to equity financing in Islamic finance
No full textFinancial intermediation serves a valuable purpose, but it can also be structured using equity modes of financing. This can relieve the financee and increase diversity of entrepreneurial undertakings as in debt based commercial financing, there is little room for diversity with obligatory and stipulated servicing of debt. Using Islamic equity modes of financing poses the challenge of the agency problem and moral hazard. The extent of this agency problem in Mudarabah and its impact on economic payoffs between counterparties is analyzed in this study with a simulation model. Based on review of alternate solutions proposed, the author presents two possible covenants which could make Mudarabah mode of financing more acceptable and widely usable in financial intermediation. This would also further the egalitarian objectives of an Islamic economic order.Interest free economy, Islamic Economic System, Mudarabah, Agency Problem, Moral Hazard, Adverse Selection
De-mystifying the Muslimah: Exploring Different Perceptions of Selected Young Muslim Women in Britain
No full textIn this research I argue that although Islam as a faith is inherently emancipatory, Muslim
women are doubly marginalised: by patriarchal interpretations of their faith within Muslim
communities and by pluralist society that often does not understand the faith-based values
and practices of Muslim women. The empowerment of Muslim women is crucial not just for
the women themselves but also for socio-political dynamics within the Muslim community
and its relationships in pluralist society. It is from this context, and acknowledging the paucity
of academic literature written by Muslim women, that I set out to give voice to them, so that
their opinions may be heard in discourses that they think are relevant to their lives. By
encouraging Muslim women to take voice and by facilitating mechanisms for these voices to
be heard, this research presents alternate narratives of Muslim women that challenge
dominant media imagery of the oppressed and subjugated Muslim woman. These narratives,
which are by and for Muslim women, portray instead the inherent diversity in the category
'Muslim woman' and thus add more facets to the category 'woman'.
I used an ethnographic methodology that involved participants as contributors in the creation
of new knowledge. Semi-structured interviews with 45 young university-educated Muslim
women and 7 group discussions were used as initial data-gathering tools. The penultimate
ethnographic stage involved Muslim women creating 3-minute long self-representational
digital stories (DSTs), which consist of an autobiographical narrative accompanied by still
pictures. This was a process of self-reflection for the women and an opportunity to take voice
and to be heard. The subsequent screening of these DSTs to audiences who were not
Muslim resulted in discussion and active debate about the reasons for prevalent
(mis)understandings of Muslim women and stereotypes were challenged. In its initiation of
more balanced representations of Muslim women this research empowers Muslim women,
and by contributing to dialogue and cohesion it also empowers pluralist society as a whole.
This research clarifies the overlapping priorities and identities of young British Muslim
women and initiates new discourses, as narrated by the women, on subjects including
religious interpretation and practice, feminism, media representation and social cohesion. In
the research findings I propose an evolving British-Muslim identity among Muslim youth (in
this case young women) which is distinct from that of their parents; a theological articulation
of a 'feminist' struggle for women's rights; and the need to engage with the media and others
to create positive representations of Muslim women. Experiences with DSTs indicate the
potential of personal narratives and interaction for the purposes of inter-community dialogue
Utilizing Relevant Academic and Personality Features from Big Unstructured Data to Identify Good and Bad Fit Students
No full textAbstractEducation is the backbone for the success of every economy and industry. It is of vital importance to understand it through lens of academic and real world data for our students and job candidates. Such analytics and knowledge can help to improve the system towards making right academic and career choices for fresh individuals. Traditionally, very little data is used by individual to make decision and most of the time; he or she is at mercy of trend, family inclination, finance and inner motivation. However, chances of success or failures are absolute unknown to them at that time. In this paper, we discuss the potential of using personality data from social networking such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn and correlating it with academic and career data to improve prediction and classify good fit and bad students accordingly. We present framework to utilize huge data with relevant features of personality of individual to reveal the useful analytics and insights. This work is in conjunction with our main research using Stochastic Probability Distribution, Bayesian Networks and Excel data tools. We provide relevant study and conclude with future work with recommendation to produce more Good fit students in our school and colleges
We Are What We Generate - Understanding Ourselves Through Our Data
No full textAbstractWe have tendency to exhibit ourselves through the data we share about ourselves including, liking, friendship, follows, disliking, pictures, audio, videos, causes, blogs and sites. Such data about us have already been used by big data companies to create customized ads and marketing tactics. However, while such data being in unstructured and noisy format, utilization and research is at its early stages. In this paper, we elaborate on the idea of understanding individuals through lens of data they produce in context of our main research work for Predicting Educational Relevance For an Efficient Classification of Talent (PERFECT) algorithm engine. We illustrate some of research problems in relevance of such data and identify research problem as ground for this paper. We present sub set of our framework including algorithm and math constructs, for the problem we identify. We conclude that such analytics and cognitive research can help to improve education, healthcare, Job economy, crime control, etc. Thus we coin the phrase “we are what we generate”, with our work in this paper. We suggest future work and opportunities in relevant directions
CNFU for Consumers of Karachi-A Second Order CFA Modeling Approach
No full textIn the consumer realm, it has been established that high NFU individuals have stronger preferences for unique products relative to low NFU individuals. The CNFU scale used in this study was originally developed by Tian et al (2001) comprising 31 items using 5-point likert scale (1 = strongly agree to 5 = strongly disagree). The three constructs underlying CNFU are Creative Choice counterconformity (CC); Unpopular Choice counterconformity (UC); and Avoidance of Similarity (AS). The latent causal structure was a second-order factor model in which these three constructs of CNFU are first-order latent factor models all converging to a second-order factor model termed as CNFU. The convergence of observed variables into latent constructs was found to be plausible. All respective hypotheses were accepted that respective observed variables converge to their latent respective variables. The final hypothesis related to the second-order CFA was also found to be acceptable that the latent variables viz. Creative Choice counterconformity, Unpopular Choice counterconformity, and Avoidance of Similarity have a considerable bearing on the second-order latent variable, Need for Uniqueness (NFU). This shows that self esteem driven need for uniqueness exists in Karachi implying need of consumers for differentiated products offered by marketers
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