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The paper aims to examine the perceptions of three major stakeholders – bankers, lawyers and customers – in the Islamic banking industry in Malaysia to assess their behavioural intention to use the proposed online dispute resolution (ODR) mechanism.

The study modifies the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) within the context of ODR and its feasibility in the Malaysian Islamic banking industry. The model was extended to include trust in technology and trust in bank, which might have significant influences on the intentions of major stakeholders to use ODR for banking-related disputes. Actual use of the ODR was not included in the model as specified in the original UTAUT. Based on an internet survey, responses were obtained from about 109 respondents. The data obtained were subjected to multivariate statistical analyses.

Results obtained indicate that trust in technology and effort expectancy are the most influencing determinants of the behavioural intention to use ODR among stakeholders in the Islamic banking industry in Malaysia. However, performance expectancy and social influence did not produce significant effects on behavioural intention.

Applying ODR in the banking industry in Malaysia will contribute to sustainable banking businesses in major Islamic finance jurisdictions. Being the most advanced region in global Islamic banking business, Asia sets the pace through theoretical and empirical studies in exploring innovative ideals such as ODR to promote sustainable business that not only ensures proper customer relationship management but also promotes consume protection.

Results obtained suggest that the increasing use of internet banking will make ODR the preferable mechanism for dispute resolution in small-scale disputes in retail banking. This will also require some form of predictability, enforceability and Shari‘ah compliance in the process of dispute resolution for the major stakeholders to have full confidence in the ODR mechanism. The recently introduced Financial Ombudsman Scheme in the Islamic Financial Services Act 2013 of Malaysia is expected to serve as a good legal basis for the ODR mechanism.

This appears to be one of the earliest attempts to examine the application of ODR in resolving Islamic banking disputes with a detailed analysis on its legal basis and implication.

This paper aims to examine the existing practices and pertinent issues affecting Islamic banks and their customers in abandoned housing projects (AHPs) to ensure compliance with Sharīʿah and statutory requirements.

This study employs the qualitative research method using the inductive approach to analyze both primary and secondary data and sources. Data collection involved a series of semi-structured interviews with five volunteering Islamic banks and a representative of Abandoned Property Owners Association Malaysia (Victims). Statutory acts, regulatory policies, guidelines, directives and standards were also analyzed.

The result indicates developer’s default, underlying contracts, regulatory arbitrage and bureaucracy, attitudinal disposition of customers and sell-then-build approach as major factors of AHP’s conundrum.

This study has suggested both short- and long-term solutions based on the principles of justice, public interests and removal of hardship to resolve and effectively manage financial hardship indebtedness arising from housing abandonment. Further, part of the proposed solutions would also reshape housing development policies and home financing transactions.

The quest for this research demonstrated Islamic banking industry’s initiatives to find lasting solutions to perennial issues of AHPs.

The purpose of this paper is to identify the dimensions of preparedness for hospital practice among newly graduated medical officers in Malaysian hospitals who are undergoing their housemanship training; and to compare the level of preparedness among the different curricula and predict the dimensions of preparedness for hospital practice.

A national study was carried out and data collection was by means of self-administered questionnaire. Data obtained (n=1,213) were subjected to exploratory factor analysis using Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 18 in extracting the dimensions of preparedness for hospital practice.

Nine dimensions of hospital practice were identified which were access to information and IT skills, interpersonal skills, basic skills, and continuing professional development, holistic skills, coping skills, ethic and legal skills, patient management skills, scientific knowledge, and clinical skills. Overall, the respondents felt their medical schools prepared them for hospital practice. The strongest predictor for preparedness for hospital practice is coping skills. Holistic skill and preparedness for hospital practice was found to be negatively associated. Those who graduated from twining programmes between Malaysian and overseas universities were found to be better prepared for hospital practice.

An understanding on preparedness for hospital practice among newly graduated medical officers is a step forward in assuring patient safety and quality of care.

Although of significant importance, however, a study of this nature is rarely researched and the first for Malaysian houseman.

The purpose of this paper is to empirically examine the factors that affect Muslim customers’ participation in using Baitul Maal wat Tamwil (BMT). The decomposed theory of planned behaviour (DTPB) was used as the research framework.

The paper uses primary data collected by self-administered questionnaires involving a sample of 405 respondents from selected BMTs in five different regencies in East Java. Structural equation modelling was used in the analysis.

This study revealed that among the three main beliefs, only perceived behavioural control towards BMT was found to have positive and significant impact on clients’ participation towards BMT. With regards to antecedents’ influence on their main beliefs, only perceived compatibility, perceived complexity and uncertainty and facilitating condition were not significant.

As the data collected are existing clients of BMT, behavioural intention is excluded from the study, and as a result, the study may lack comprehensive results. Therefore, future study will be very useful if it includes behavioural intention as the variables.

The finding of the present study could help BMT to better manage by focussing on relative advantage and behavioural control to build client relationships.

The paper may be first study to apply DTPB to client behaviours in the area of Islamic microfinance in Indonesia.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effectiveness of Islamic banks’ corporate social responsibility (CSR) using data collected from stakeholders in Malaysia. While Islamic scholars have developed the Islamic CSR from the Qur’anic verses, the Sunnah of the Prophet (SAW) and from the western ideologies, the focus of this paper is to assess the effectiveness of the developed Islamic CSR practices.

Quantitative research design was adopted for this study. Exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and other analyses are performed on the data collected from 193 stakeholders in Malaysia.

Based on the data collected and analyzed, the results show that stakeholders view the Malaysian Islamic banks’ CSRs as effective.

This study investigates the effectiveness of Malaysian Islamic banks’ CSR based on the survey data collected. However, future studies could explore this in greater depth using mixed methods.

The research findings have great implications for researchers. Since this study is among the few research studies that investigate the effectiveness of Islamic CSR, the researchers have paved ways for further investigation in this area. In addition, the study encourages the Malaysian Islamic banks and other Islamic financial institutions to contribute more to the society.

The study examines the effectiveness of Islamic banks’ CSR and contributes to the growing discussions on the Islamic CSR. The study has opened up this area for further investigations by other researchers.

This study aims to investigate the Malaysian retail investors and fund managers’ investment decision behaviours. The study offers an important opportunity for understanding the investors’ experiences, how they understand the Malaysian economy and their priorities for company selection. Other main aspects of this study are how investors mitigate the influence of emotions and psychological biases and challenges faced during investment decisions.

The researchers have mainly adopted an interpretivist approach for the present study. Qualitative data elicited through semi-structured interviews conducted with four retail investors and four fund managers were subjected to qualitative thematic analysis.

The results reveal that the investment decision processes of fund managers are more comprehensive than those of retail investors. Although both fund managers and retail investors acknowledge the influence of psychological biases on their investment decisions, the former use different and comprehensive approaches to mitigate such influences during investment decisions compared with the latter. Other important findings are how investors understand the Malaysian economy, their priorities for company selection and challenges faced during investment decisions.

The researchers have interviewed eight carefully selected interviewees across retail investors and fund managers divide. Adopting other grouping criteria, focus group discussion with more respondents or adopting a mixed-methods approach may increase our understanding of the investment decision behaviours of Malaysian retail investors and fund managers.

This study could be used as a guide by both retail investors and fund managers when making investment decisions.

This research has included both retail investors and fund managers; it has also increased literature on investment decision and behavioural finance, particularly in the context of Malaysian investors and managers.

The purpose of this paper is to measure the technical efficiency and growth trajectory of Bangladeshi and Indonesian microfinance institutions (MFIs). The motivation for this study was derived from crucial roles that these institutions play in the socio-economic transformation of any nations, especially Bangladesh and Indonesia which are at least prominent in the Asian context in this regard. Rather than “proving” impact, research endeavors have shifted to focusing on “improving” the impact of MFIs, because the ability to improve their impact as socio-economic transformation platform may be hinged on their efficiency over time.

Data were obtained from MIX market database covering a five-year period from 2007 to 2011 for 20 Bangladeshi and 11 Indonesian MFIs. The data obtained were subjected to both efficiency and trajectory analysis using data envelopment analysis (DEA) based on Malmquist productivity index, independent t-test, and latent growth curve modeling (LGCM).

Overall, DEA results indicate that both Bangladeshi and Indonesian MFIs are approximately efficient under constant returns to scale, variable returns to scale, and scale. There has been an improvement in the management practices of Bangladeshi MFIs, while Indonesian MFIs have increased in optimum size. Independent t-test result shows that Bangladeshi MFIs are significantly efficient in terms of performance and firm’s size compared to Indonesian MFIs, but there is no significant difference in their efficiencies with regard to technology. The intercept and the slope of the regression weight in the estimated model using LGCM are not significantly different.

This study measures technical efficiency and growth trajectory of Bangladeshi and Indonesian MFIs over a five-year period. However, future studies could explore this in greater depth by incorporating more data.

The research findings have great implications for the Bangladeshi and Indonesian MFIs. Since this study is among the first of its kind, the researchers have paved ways for further investigation in this area. Moreover, the study encourages the Bangladeshi and Indonesian MFIs to be more concerned of their efficiencies.

This study measures technical efficiency and growth trajectory of the Bangladeshi and Indonesian (MFIs). These have never been examined together in this way before.

The purpose of this paper is to develop a model for studying the propensity towards indebtedness in Malaysia using behavioural factors.

A self-administered questionnaire was distributed among Malaysians who work in Klang Valley, Kuala Lumpur. The questionnaire contained several demographic variables and four behavioural factors: financial literacy, risk perception, materialism and emotions. A total of 201 completed questionnaires were received and the data were tested using structural equation modelling with partial least squares.

This study found that emotion and materialism are statistically significant for a propensity towards indebtedness, while financial literacy and risk perceptions are insignificant for a propensity towards indebtedness.

The results of this study would be useful in helping design better models for credit offerings and addressing credit problems in the long run.