Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the influence of halal concern as well as emotional and epistemic values on consumer behaviour in the choice and purchase of halal-certified food supplies.Design/methodology/approach: This study used a quantitative methodology of convenience sampling to collect survey data from 1,550 Muslim respondents in Malaysia. It also employed multiple regressions by covariance-based structural equation modelling in the data analysis as well as in the validation of the proposed model.Findings: The empirical results showed that the importance of halal certification had the highest impact on consumer choice behaviour, particularly in the purchase of halal-certified food supplies. Also, epistemic and emotional values were both statistically significant in terms of their influence on the consumer decision-making process.Research limitations/implications: The results emphasize the importance of enhancing the hedonic (halal concern and emotional value) aspect as a way for the halal food industries to obtain an added value advantage for their products and services.Originality/value: This paper is the first to employ an empirical approach to consider the halal sentiment as a determinant of consumer purchasing behaviour in the context of halal-certified food supplies.

Firms are finding it increasingly important to leverage social media to facilitate knowledge access, get valuable feedback, and improve innovations to cater for emerging markets. However, using social media without integrating other key factors does not seem to add value to innovation efforts. Therefore, this study investigates the potential of social media usage (SMU) in enhancing green product innovation (GPI) and how two types of environmental collaboration may affect that relationship, which is a subject that has been under-explored. First, the literature on the expansion of the use of social media in enhancing GPI was reviewed to develop the theoretical framework and hypotheses. Then, data collected from 211 manufacturing firms were analysed using structural equation modelling to examine the proposed relationship. The results revealed that SMU does not directly influence GPI. Rather, internal environmental collaboration (IEC) and environmental collaboration with suppliers (ECS) fully mediate the relationship between SMU and GPI. The results further disclosed a positive relationship between IEC and ECS, where both types of environmental collaboration seem to be key factors in improving GPI. Hence, this study highlights the importance of knowledge sharing through environmental collaborations for the generation of ideas to improve products in order to remain competitive in the market.

This research aims to investigate the relationship between supply chain orientation (SCO) and firm performance (FP) in the context of halal-certified small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The proposed SCO model incorporates three factors, namely top management support, commitment, and credibility, for the determination of firm performance. A total of 512 halal-certified SMEs was surveyed, in which 284 responses were received and analysed using structural equation modelling with partial least squares (SEM-PLS). The credibility of supply chain partners was shown to have a major effect on firm performance in the context of halal-certified SMEs. On the other hand, top management support and commitment demonstrated a lesser influence, despite having statistically significant effects on firm performance. This study provides a framework for halal practitioners to refine their business operations based on the implementation of SCO elements to improve firm performance.

Although the post-COVID-19 unemployment rate is expected to decline further, in many economies, unemployment remains one of the most challenging issues to overcome. In addition, the unemployment rate is not always constant as many economic determinants are accountable for its variability. Thus, this study examines 15 economic determinants from the literature which are manufacturing production index (MPI), total salaries and wages, public consumption, total deposits, total loans, exports of goods and services, imports of goods and services, total employment, gross domestic product (GDP), consumer price index, producer price index (PPI), USD/MYR exchange rate (EXRT), population, overnight policy rate, and foreign direct investment. All data were collected from economic reports compiled by the Economic Planning Unit, Prime Minister's Department of Malaysia for the longest common period of 21 years beginning in 2001. A backward stepwise regression is implemented to determine a well-specified model to represent unemployment rates in Malaysia. In addition, this study focuses on a general-to-specific modelling procedure and its diagnostic tests using R programming. Multicollinearity existed, and the VIF table was used to examine the modelling transitions. The empirical evidence indicates that MPI, public consumption, total loan, GDP, PPI, EXRT, and total employment account for 94.3% of the variability in unemployment rates. We suggest that the use of machinery and technology in the manufacturing sector may contribute to the positive effects of MPI and PPI on unemployment. Findings indicate that higher growth in GDP, public consumption, total loans, and total employment would lead to a lower unemployment rate, unlike EXRT. This study reveals that GDP growth is the most significant economic determinant of the unemployment rate.

The act of counterfeiting spans across various industries and the impact can be seen beyond economic factors. In consumer behavior, the impact of status consumption and materialism has influenced purchase decisions in which consumption is not only based on how it makes an individual feel but also on those around them. Ultimately, the extent to which consumers may go in terms of getting status recognition influenced them to look for “cheaper” alternatives to genuine manufactured products. Hence the demand for counterfeit fashion products kept rising over the years. This research shows the impact of materialism and status consumption in influencing consumer attitudes toward counterfeit fashion products. Data were analyzed using a partial least square (PLS) approach to structural equation modeling (SEM). Materialism is significant in influencing attitude whereas there was no significant relationship found between status consumption and attitude.