Vol. 15 No. 4(SI)I (2023)

The advancement of social media platforms has enhanced communication sharing, interaction and information access. Importantly, the platforms become an integral part of the lives of today's students in updating themselves with current issues around the world and staying informed. Social media offers scammers opportunities to create fake profiles, leading to confusion between genuine investments and scams. However, alongside the benefits, social media also exposed students to deception such as being scammed. Students can be susceptible to falling prey to investment scams that offer high yields with low risk. Students must exercise caution online to avoid falling for fraudulent schemes. Vigilance in evaluating online content is crucial for their financial safety. Therefore, this study was conducted to examine the influence of social media on the intention to invest in investment scams among students. Data was collected among students at Universiti Teknologi MARA, Cawangan Negeri Sembilan. This study employed a quantitative method to collect primary data through an online questionnaire survey. The findings indicate a significant association between social media and intention to invest in investment scams. This study contributes to the existing literature on both social media and investment scam context and offers valuable insights to the policymakers, regulators and social media operators in combatting the fraudulent investment issue.

In 2016, the Ministry of Health (MOH), Malaysia, initiated a sustainable program that includes activities for sustainable energy management at all 145 buildings under the MOH. The focus of the sustainable energy management program is to target these buildings to reduce their annual energy consumption by 10% by 2018. The target implementation of a sustainable energy management program includes achieving 3-star EMGS certification within 5 years. By December 2022, 135 have achieved two-star certification with the requirement to achieve at least 5% energy consumption savings. By 2019, the 118 buildings that embarked on EMGS certification had achieved 22.62% energy consumption savings. District and specialist hospitals achieved 23%–24% savings in 2019. The largest energy consumption in MOH buildings is for room cooling, which is contributed by air conditioning and mechanical ventilation (ACMV) equipment. The implementation of a sustainable energy management program has contributed to energy cost savings of RM21 million per year to MOH energy bills in 2019.

Business incubation plays a crucial role in sustaining business success in both emerging and developing countries. Business incubators help businesses in developing countries effectively use innovation to reduce poverty and sustain social and economic development and growth. This conceptual paper focuses on the effect of funding in business incubator practices on business success in the context of Palestine. Additionally, this study strives to establish the mediating effect of entrepreneurial self-efficacy on the relationship between funding and business success. This study will apply a quantitative approach to collect data from businesses in Palestine. The Partial Least Squares (PLS) method will be used to analyze the data. This study adopted a resource-based view (RBV), which claims that resources, skills, and capabilities are valuable tangible and intangible resources that lead to business success. If empirically supported, the proposed framework may provide effective assistance for business incubators, entrepreneurs, business owners, and managers in developing countries such as Palestine. Therefore, the results of this study will help provide academic research, future research, government, and related agencies with guiding principles and information.

The data center market is expected to grow at 7% during 2022- 2027 and the market size is to reach RM2.0 billion in 2027. The high impact of ICT contributes to high energy consumption, which will impact the environment and greenhouse gas emissions. To reduce energy consumption is to introduce a green data centre. Implementing a green data center involves the introduction of energy-efficient measures for the data center. This will include using energy-efficient ICT equipment and energy-efficient facilities equipment, especially the HVAC system. The successful introduction of the green data center involves new technologies in which there will be barriers that need to be addressed. Based on the study, green awareness and the benefit of switching to green data centers is essential for green data center initiatives in Malaysia.

Artificial intelligence (AI) has had a tremendous impact on financial management research, revolutionizing how financial data is analyzed and decisions are made. It has the ability to improve accuracy and efficiency while also lowering costs and providing fresh insights into financial markets and investments. This review will look at some of the important areas of financial management research that AI has influenced. One of the most notable effects of AI on financial management research has been in risk management. AI algorithms, with their ability to analyze vast amounts of data, can detect patterns and anomalies that humans may not notice right away and have had a significant impact on financial forecasting and prediction, generating predictions about future market movements and investment opportunities by analyzing historical data, market trends, and other relevant factors. In conclusion, artificial intelligence (AI) has had a tremendous impact on financial management research, revolutionizing how financial data is analyzed and decisions are made, with significant potential to disrupt traditional financial management techniques. AI has the ability to increase accuracy and efficiency, cut costs, and provide fresh insights into financial markets and investments. As AI technology advances, its impact on financial management studies is likely to rise.

This paper attempts to rectify the flaws of deterministic data envelopment analysis (DEA), induced from the characteristics of its approach. The disadvantages have drawn considerable attention in the area of banking efficiency studies, and bootstrapping DEA (BDEA) analysis has been proposed in the literature. This paper provides a comparative analysis of each approach to understand their theoretical foundations and mathematical computations, as well as their strengths and weaknesses. The arguments were empirically supported within the context of risk management efficiency analysis in banking institutions. Finally, the paper proved the need for BDEA analysis to be used while advancing measurement precision for risk management efficiency measurements.

Smartphones have emerged as a mobile device that provides users with "smart" functionalities, aesthetics features and capabilities. These smart devices are the “must have” advanced communication tools and have been assimilated as an integral part of the everyday life. Although academic scholars and practitioners h ave started to venture into a research stream that focuses on behavioral models to elucidate and predict smartphone consumption trends and behavior, however, there is limited empirical research that attempts to unleash factors that triggered smartphone users to become nomophobia (no mobile phone phobia) and consecutively in turn become pathology (also known as addiction or dependency) user. Henceforth, this work seeks to explore both emerging phenomena by developing and validating a research model which is based on the Media Dependency Theory. The structural equation modelling analysis was conducted using Smart Partial Least Square (SmartPLS3) procedure with a dataset of 272 smartphone users who belong to the urban Millennials generational cohort. Two main predictors are hypothesized, which are the smartphone features (software and hardware) and users’ personality traits (openness, neuroticism, and extraversion). The results suggest that multiple facets of smartphone users’ personalities, particularly neuroticism significantly cause the smartphone users to become nomophobia and subsequently pathological. Whereas, the device hardware features have a positive significance effect on nomophobia, nevertheless not trigger pathology. Surprisingly, software features of the smartphone do not offer evidence of their effect on nomophobia as well as pathology. The key findings uncovered from this exploratory research provide rich insights for theoretical and practical implications.

Malaysia Education Blueprint 2015-2025 (Higher Education) mainly highlighted sustaining the quality of higher education in this country. One of the crucial focuses is concerned with improving the graduate’s academic performance. Align with the Government’s aim UiTM has taken a progressive action to blend the current environmental scenario and higher education reform as espoused by the Minister of Education. The UiTM Strategic Plan 2025 was established to improve its performance as well as the quality of Bumiputera’s education quality. This study reports on assessing the various outer factors related to university students’ academic performance concentrating on the relationship between teaching and learning approaches, family and peer influences and student’s financial with academic performance among UiTM’s students. A theoretical framework was constructed to examine the relationship between variables. Next, a quantitative study has been carried out to gather the respondent’s feedback. An adapted survey consisting of 25 items with 5 point Likert scale was distributed to 497 respondents using the convenience sampling procedure. Data were then analyzed using the Statistical Procedure for Social Science (SPSS) to test the hypotheses. The result confirmed the hypothesis in determining the significance between the constructs. Family and peer influence was identified as the most influence factor on student academic performance ( r = 0.584, p = 0.000, p < 0.05 ). The result also revealed that the teaching and learning approach and family and peers influence the student’s academic performance.

The occurrence of social anxiety among students in higher education has become a growing concern, necessitating a comprehensive understanding of effective assessment methods. To address this, a study was conducted utilizing thematic analysis to explain prevailing trends in the measurement of social anxiety. By analyzing ten scholarly articles sourced from the Web of Sciences (WOS) database, the research sought to identify common patterns and themes in the approaches employed to assess social anxiety. The findings of the thematic analysis highlighted several prevalent tools frequently utilized in assessing social anxiety, including the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale, the State–Trait Anxiety Inventory, the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale, the Social Anxiety Scale, the Social and Emotional Competencies Evaluation Questionnaire, and the Social Anxiety Scale. These established measurements signify essential resources for researchers and practitioners aiming to comprehensively evaluate social anxiety in university students. This comprehensive review of existing literature not only contributes to a deeper understanding of the methodologies employed in studying social anxiety but also emphasizes the importance of employing a variety of measurement techniques in future research endeavors. By incorporating these findings, scholars and mental health professionals can devise more tailored interventions and support mechanisms to address the growing concerns surrounding social anxiety within higher education settings.

In Malaysia healthcare costs have posed challenges to the sustainability of the country's dual healthcare system, it is crucial to learn about the factors influencing consumer preferences for generic medicines. The public healthcare system predominantly uses generic drugs, private healthcare providers often prescribe originator brands to their patients. This practice places financial burdens on patients who must fund their medication independently or through private medical insurance. Therefore, the main objective of this paper is to investigate the determinants affecting consumers' willingness to purchase generic medicine in Malaysia. Using convenience sampling, a total of 436 responses was obtained. Descriptive statistics and bivariate logistic regression analysis were employed to examine the influence of sociodemographic factors and individual knowledge on the willingness to purchase generic medicine. The results indicate that age, ethnicity, marital status, education level, household size and income significantly influence the consumers' willingness to purchase generic medicine. Notably, higher education levels and greater income were associated with a higher willingness to opt for generic medicine. Unexpectedly, variables measured by the Theory of Planned Behavior did not contribute substantially to the findings of this study. Nonetheless, individual knowledge was revealed as a significant determinant. To increase the uptake of generic medicines, this study recommends educational programs for both healthcare providers and patients, emphasizing the benefits and safety of generic medicine. This research contributes to the broader discussion on cost-effective healthcare solutions and informs policymakers and healthcare stakeholders in Malaysia.