Vol. 15 No. 3(SI) (2023)

This paper aims to propose a conceptual model for sustainable green port practices. The port industry is the main gateway of trade around the world. Nowadays, ports do not only focus on business purposes but also non-business purposes specifically environmental concerns surrounding the ports. As the public becomes more engaged with the risks of climate change and the composition of port shareholders changes, the philosophy towards port business has evolved too. The environment has become an in-thing for ports to emphasize the sustainability of their business. It is also the regulation that is implemented by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to protect the environment and community because ports are also the source contributing to pollution. Thus, the introduction of Green Port Initiatives (GPIs) is the best way and resolution to highlight the importance of keeping a safe environment for the future. The study presents the conceptual framework portraying the elements concerning the sustainability of GPIs from the Northport perspective. Firstly, examining the level of awareness of GPIs among the port community; secondly mapping the port GPIs to the six key areas of Green Port Concepts; thirdly, understanding the initial key areas of initiatives which port community is interested in practicing; and fourthly, comparison GPIs at Northport with other port for benchmarking. The findings will provide ideas on the best strategies to implement and sustain the GPIs at Northport (Malaysia) Berhad towards their operation and more significantly meeting the United Nation’s 17 SDGs.

Employee retention has emerged as a pressing concern within knowledge-based organizations due to the non-substitutability of individual abilities and their substantial influence on organizational achievements. Therefore, the retention of proficient staff is a crucial strategic approach, particularly for Malaysian and Indonesian Higher Learning Institutions (HLIs). In mitigating this issue, fairness in organizational practices was reported by several scholars as an important element that can integrate individual and corporate needs and has proven to be a practical approach to enhancing the employees’ organizational commitment, motivation and retention. Thus, this study seeks to understand the antecedents that could influence HLIs’ workforce retention. To achieve the objective, a content analysis approach is used to discover potential antecedents of fairness that affect HLIs’ workforce retention. The Organizational Justice Theory is then employed as the theoretical foundation to examine and synthesize the antecedents. Three antecedents are addressed during the examination and discussion: distributive justice, procedural justice, and interactional justice. Through this, three organizational justice propositions are offered, and the framework developed in this conceptual study highlights the retention practices and instigators. This study's conceptual nature provides preliminary insights into the employees’ retention experience in the Malaysian and Indonesian HLI context. This study contributes to the body of knowledge by illuminating the antecedents that promote employee retention, resulting in a practical framework that can be used by the HLIs to formulate strategies and policies to reduce the financial and business risk due to the high employee attrition rate. Subsequently, achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals of good health and wellbeing (Goal 3) and quality education (Goal 4).

This study examines the antecedents of destination loyalty and its relation to destination image (cultural image, environmental image, and socio-economic image), brand image and awareness and destination satisfaction in island destinations. This study raises important questions concerning how cultural image, environmental image, socioeconomic image, destination brand image, destination brand awareness and destination satisfaction affect destination loyalty. This research attempts to identify (1) the effect of Destination Image on Tourist Satisfaction and (2) To examine the effect of Destination Image towards Destination Loyalty. The study empirically tests the predicted relationship by using a survey of 147 local tourists after the moving control order ended in Malaysia. Data were collected by a physical survey of 147 local tourists. The data were modeled with partial least squares structural equation modeling. Based on 147 valid responses processed with Smart PLS software, the results confirm most of the research hypotheses. The study reveals that destination brand awareness, environmental image, and environmental knowledge affect tourists at Tuba Island. However, the socioeconomic image doesn't significantly impact tourism satisfaction. Additionally, destination brand, destination image, and environmental image contribute to tourist loyalty at Tuba Island, with loyalty not being the main factor driving satisfaction or loyalty to the island. The findings are useful for all stakeholders of tourism development in Langkawi and Tuba Island, Malaysia.

The study examines the challenges faced by Investigation Officers (IOs) at the Malaysian AntiCorruption Commission, with an increasing number of cases impacting their job satisfaction. Despite this, there have been limited studies looking into how job stress, work-life balance, and work environment impact IOs' job satisfaction. Thus, a study takes place to investigate the impact of job stress, work-life balance, and work environment on their satisfaction. Questionnaires were distributed to 164 respondents from MACC Headquarters in Putrajaya and MACC’s states’ offices and analyzed using SPSS V23. Multiple regression analyses were conducted and results showed a positive relationship between work-life balance and job satisfaction, and negative relationships between job stress and job satisfaction, as well as work environment and job satisfaction. The study recommends the MACC's management team consider improvements in career paths, fair compensation, and rewards to enhance job satisfaction among IOs. It also suggests promoting better communication between IOs and the agency to address their needs and maintain a healthy work-life balance.

Feeder ports in the archipelago of the sub-region of BIMP EAGA often face challenges in terms of connectivity due to the dispersed nature of the islands. Realizing the untapped economic potential in the area and the robust geopolitical landscape that has taken place in the last decades, there is an exigency of the countries in BIMP EAGA to improve their port to be the preferred choice by shipping lines. A port's competitiveness holds a paramount significance for shipping lines to call a certain port. Thus, this study aims to examine the perspective of Main Line Operators (MLO) on the level of importance of the competitiveness of the ports in BIMP EAGA, especially Sapangar Bay Container Port. Ten Main line Operators (MLO) of Intra Asia were selected to respond to the questionnaires using the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). The result revealed that the MLO ranked the most important attributes from top to bottom were port efficiency and facilities (EP), port pricing and support services (PP), Hinterland Characteristics (HC), Maritime Accessibility (MA) and lastly Institutional Regulatory (IR). The specific priorities and preferences of shipping lines in this sub-region may be influenced by factors such as trade patterns, port infrastructure, market demands and overall competitiveness of the ports in the region. The findings of this study contribute to the general understanding of port competitiveness in the BIMP EAGA from the perspective of the MLO and may guide the policymakers, port authorities and industry stakeholders in addressing the specific needs and prioritizing their strategic planning to improve the port.

There are many benefits of technology in the workplace, such as an increase in productivity and knowledge acquisition. However, technological advancement in the workplace may cause technostress. The term technostress refers to the negative psychological relationship between people and adopting new technologies. Technostress occurs when people cannot adequately adapt to or interact with information technologies. The purpose of this study is to determine the relationship between five technostress creators, namely, techno-overload, techno-invasions, techno-complexity, techno-insecurity, and techno-uncertainty towards employee well-being at one Telecommunication Company in Sarawak, Malaysia. The respondents of this cross-sectional quantitative study were 141 individual employees. Data were collected using convenience sampling by utilizing a Google form that was distributed to all populations under the study. The findings of this research indicate a strong relationship between all technostress creators and the well-being of employees. Thus, this research adds to the knowledge of the relationships between technostress creators and employees’ well-being in the workplace. Since the research found that the most prevailing independent variable in this research study is techno-invasion, thus, this research recommended that the company provide guidelines on ICTs use outside of work and take action to limit such work-related interruptions.

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.

Despite the plethora of research studies conducted on service quality and customer satisfaction in the realm of artificial intelligence, there remains a significant gap in the literature when it comes to robo advisors. Robo advisors, automated platforms that provide algorithm-based financial advice and investment management, are gaining popularity as an alternative to traditional financial advisors. Numerous research studies have been conducted concerning service quality and customer satisfaction in the context of artificial intelligence, yet none have specifically addressed robo-advisors. This research aims to fill the gap and shed light on the crucial aspects of service quality and customer satisfaction within the context of robo advisors. The study will examine the key determinants of service quality offered by robo advisors, considering factors such as the accuracy of financial advice, user interface design, response time, transparency, and communication efficiency. Furthermore, the research seeks to investigate the factors influencing customer satisfaction in their interactions with robo advisors. It will explore the users' perception of robo advisors' reliability, trustworthiness, personalized experience, and the level of control they have over their investments. The outcomes of this research are expected to contribute valuable insights into understanding the strengths and weaknesses of robo-advisors concerning service quality and customer satisfaction. This study is expected to benefit financial service providers, policymakers, and investors by identifying the areas of improvement for robo advisors and enhancing the overall customer experience.

Post Covid-19 outbreak has shown a growing trend in technology adoption. Instantaneously, the research on technology entrepreneurship has surged to shed light on the impact of this research on the national economy. This research aims to explore research papers specifically research journal articles on technopreneurship that were published in the Scopus database. 489 and 106 documents were found in the Scopus database on the query of technology entrepreneurship and technopreneurship and were extracted to VOSviewer for data visualization. Key themes were identified using co-word or co-occurrence analysis, and relevant future study directions were demonstrated.

The introduction of microcredit has drawn significant attention to the interest rates charged by microfinance institutions, capturing the interest of policymakers worldwide. Despite the competitive nature of the microfinance market, borrowers still bear the burden of relatively high interest rates. Similar to other loans, microcredit requires repayment, and the interest rate is determined by various factors. Nevertheless, acknowledging that the interest rate is intrinsically linked to the risk associated with microcredit is essential. Microfinance institutions often deal with borrowers from low-income backgrounds, making the repayment process inherently riskier. This study aimed to address the crucial question concerning the factors influencing microcredit loan rates, an area that has not been extensively studied. Since the respondents are SMEs, they have been questioned about the interest rates charged to them. If the enterprises have a well-established track record, opt for short-term loans with smaller amounts, and maintain accurate accounting records, the lender may consider offering a lower interest rate. Understanding the determinants of interest rates helps in segmenting borrowers based on their risk profiles. Policymakers and regulators can use the insights from the study to develop appropriate regulations that balance the need for financial inclusion with consumer protection. Additionally, educating borrowers about the determinants of interest rates, how they are calculated, and ways to improve their creditworthiness can empower them to make informed financial decisions and negotiate better terms.