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This study investigates usage behaviour as a variation in internet engagement by integrating the concept of access gaps with the ability-motivation-opportunity (AMO) framework. The research model was tested with data collected from 270 respondents in Klang Valley, which is the most urbanised metropolis in Malaysia. The result of path modelling analysis revealed that the cognitive factor of internet skill has the most significant effect on internet engagement. Besides, the significant effects of opportunity and extrinsic motivation on engagement were confirmed. Intrinsic motivation has no significant impact on engagement, but it has a significant interaction effect with opportunity. Thus, the lack of opportunity to access the internet does not limit the frequent engagement of the intrinsically motivated user. This study offers a systematic explanation of the underlying mechanism for the interaction among the access gaps and an alternative model in explaining the determinants of internet users’ behaviour.

Purpose: Halalcosmetic products are considered as innovation and revolution in the cosmetic industry as they offer high-quality products that follow the halalcompliance and meet the strict scientific guidelines. However, halalcosmetic brands are still facing challenges in their positioning and are unable to identify how to encourage customers to buy. Although there is an increasing awareness towards the use of halalcosmetics among the Generation Y consumers, the factors that might stimulus their purchase intention of halalcosmetics is still ambiguous. Besides, there is a lack of well-established study on the role of religious belief as a predictor to Generation Y consumers’ purchase intention. To address the gap, this study aims to propose a model to reveal the distinctive factors that influence the purchase intention of halalcosmetics among Generation Y in Malaysia. Design/methodology/approach: The population for this study consisted of Generation Y consumers. A closed-ended questionnaire was used for data collection from a sample of 262 respondents. The proposed model was tested using partial least squares structural equation modelling. Findings: This study discovered that ingredient safety followed by the halallogo is very important predictor for the purchase intention of halalcosmetic products among Generation Y consumers. Unexpectedly, this study finds that religious belief plays the least important role in purchase intention. Research limitations/implications: This study fills the gap in the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) by improving its limitation through considering the unbiased determinant of behaviour i.e. religious belief. Practical implications: This study recommends cosmetics companies to position their products based on the importance of safety ingredient with halallogo as unique attributes of the product. It also suggests marketers to understand the right promotion strategy to be used in targeting the right market segment. Originality/value: TPB is only based on cognitive processing and it ignores one’s needs/motivations prior to engaging in certain behaviour. Hence, this study looks into religious belief as a means of motivation and one of the important determinants of TPB.

Background: Tourism, combined with the phrase medical, seems to be a new form of tourism which has gained huge popularity in recent decades. Though, a number of literatures available with regard to the tourism industry and the competitiveness of the destination, however, the major aspects which determine the satisfaction of medical tourists are hardly focused specifically on Malaysia. There is a lack of empirical evidence in this area of study which needs to be bridged. Hence, this study aimed at investigating the various factors contributing towards the development of medical tourism in Malaysia. Methods: As the purpose of the research was to find out various factors contributing towards the development of medical tourism in Malaysia, so this study used Structural Equation modeling (SEM) for data analysis. The target population for this study consisted of the medical tourists coming to Malaysia with the primary intension of seeking medical procedures other than sightseeing. A total sample size of 266 was collected through non-probability judgment sampling during the period between December 2012 and February 2013. Results: The result confirms that destination competitiveness and service quality play an important role in the medical tourist's mind towards medical tourism aspect in Malaysia. Thus, Malaysia need to promote various medical success stories together with the services they offer to attract more foreign patients. Conclusion: This study contributes to the theoretical development in the tourism industry by offering the structured relationship among various aspects contributing towards the development of medical tourism in Malaysia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The need for better healthcare has grown significantly in recent years. In addition, the rising healthcare costs in the U.S. and in many European countries have forced many patients to seek medical treatment abroad, which has created the demand for medical tourism. With little yet known as to the perception of a medical tourist's destination selection, this study aims to explore medical tourist's perception in selecting their destination while going for medical treatment. Methods: Realizing the current need to examine closely the perception of medical tourists, this study had conducted a secondary study to collect data for assessing and identification of the key factors on patient's perception and destination selection criteria. Results: The result confirms the existence of a very strong relationship between cost, service quality, treatment types and availability and marketing impact on the perception of the medical tourists' in selecting their medical tourism destination. Conclusion: This study offers support for the proposed conceptual model and an empirical basis for comparison in future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]