SMEs in the food manufacturing sector represent a considerable proportion of mainstream businesses in Malaysia. The changes in the lifestyles of Malaysians have led to increased demand for convenience and processed foods, which has led to a growing number of food manufacturing establishments in Malaysia. Nevertheless, the expansion in the food manufacturing sector is followed by a rise in environmental issues. Therefore, to mitigate the impact of food manufacturing activities on the environment, one of the best possible solutions is to implement environmental management practices (EMPs). SMEs may encounter varying levels of pressure from customers, regulatory bodies, and the social community regarding environmental behavior and compliance. This study used the Stakeholder theory to develop the research model. The first objective of this study is to determine the effect of SMEs’ external stakeholders, including customer pressure, regulatory pressure, and social community pressure, on food manufacturing SMEs’ intention to adopt EMPs. The second objective is to test the effect of firm size as a moderating variable. A structured questionnaire was administered to 367 food manufacturing SMEs in Malaysia. The findings reveal that the SMEs’ intention to adopt EMPs was significantly related to customer, regulatory, and social community pressures. The study also discovered that firm size only moderated the relationship between customer pressure and the intention to adopt EMPs. The results provided a more robust understanding of the effect of external factors on SMEs’ intentions toward EMPs. Policymakers are recommended to carefully consider those factors to encourage more SMEs to adopt EMPs. SMEs should cultivate a learning and innovative culture to successfully embrace EMPs in a changing business environment.

With the current rapid increase in digital technology adoption, understanding the relationship between technological proficiency and self-esteem is crucial to older adults. This study explores the mechanisms through which technological proficiency influences self-esteem, particularly considering its associations with technological engagement, self-efficacy, social participation, and autonomy. By using a narrative review approach, this study synthesizes recent findings from gerontology and psychology to examine these relationships. The analysis shows that higher technological proficiency enhances self-esteem by boosting self-efficacy, fostering social participation, and promoting greater autonomy. Older adults who are skilled in using digital tools exhibit greater confidence in managing daily activities and maintaining their social networks, contributing to their psychological resilience. Conversely, lower technological proficiency is linked to frustration, social exclusion, and diminished self-esteem, exacerbated by the digital divide. However, despite these insights, much remains unexplored; for example, no longitudinal study has been conducted to capture the dynamic relations between technological proficiency and self-esteem. These findings suggest that further research is needed to learn more about how technological proficiency influences self-esteem and recommend clinical ways of supporting older adults in their current stage.

This research investigates the service quality attributes of PT and the influence of the attributes on users’ satisfaction. Improving public transport (PT) facilities such as road networks and connectivity systems must align with service quality aspects. This research investigates the service quality attributes of PT and the influence of the attributes on users’ satisfaction. A survey was conducted to examine users’ perceptions of the service quality of PT in Sarawak, Malaysia. Service quality indicators have been chosen based on service quality attributes in previous research and analyzed using factor analysis (FA) to group the indicators into service quality attributes. Conformity Factor Analysis (CFA) was used to determine which attributes could significantly impact users’ satisfaction. Based on the survey results, the service quality of PT services in Sarawak is average, as most of the mean scores for each indicator of service quality and user satisfaction are less than 4.0. Four service quality attributes have been obtained from FA, i.e., vehicle condition, customer service, travel experience, and accessibility. The CFA analysis and structural model results showed that the attributes of vehicle condition, customer service, and accessibility significantly positively impact users’ satisfaction. The findings in this research can be used as references for PT providers, policymakers, and the government in improving the service quality of PT in Sarawak State.