Determining the Key Factors of Customer–Brand Relationship Investment Dimensions: Insights From Malaysian Mobile Phone Users

This study aims to empirically test a scale to measure the dimensions of relationship investment. An exploratory factor analysis and reliability analysis were conducted on a sample of 150 mobile phone customers, whereas a confirmatory factor analysis was conducted on a sample of 539 customers. The results identified 2 dimensions each for customer and brand investment and validated the measurement items for each dimension. Thus, this study offers a sound scale for potential use in future studies and a useful tool for companies to use to diagnose and plan for an effective engagement strategy.     

Consumer credit from the Islamic viewpoint

In this paper, the author describes — against the background of the general principles of trade in Islam, which are based on the value patterns deeply ingrained in the Islamic faith — the rules regulating consumer credit and debt financing in an Islamic economy. In the exposition of the Islamic viewpoint on these issues, guidelines adopted by Malaysian economists and financial institutions are used as a basis. The author explains which forms of trade and credit are regarded as usurious in nature and hence prohibited. Charging interest on loans is not permissible, but there are several forms of deferred contracts of exchange which can be used in order to enable consumers to make purchases on credit. The most common of these forms are described in some detail. They have in common that consumers have absolute ownership over the object of trade during the period in which they pay their instalments. An inability-to-pay clause, taking into account that a consumer may not always be in a position to fulfil the obligation to pay because of unavoidable or pressing circumstances, is always part of these credit forms. Some proposed solutions to the problems of alleviating the impact of inflation on credit transactions are also briefly described. In the final section, it is pointed out that even within the Islamic ambit, there can exist a multiplicity of approaches to issues such as consumer credit, depending on the various priorities set in a particular Islamic country. Furthermore, in a country such as Malaysia, although much conversion to an Islamic approach has taken place, Islamic and conventional systems exist side by side, and the future will show which of the systems is the more receptive to public needs.

---

Zusammenfassung Verbraucherkredite aus islamischer Sicht. Vor dem Hintergrund der generellen Regeln für Handel und Gewerbe des Islam, die aus Wertvorstellungen erwachsen, die tief im islamischen Glauben verwurzelt sind, beschreibt der Autor die Richtlinien, nach denen Verbraucherkredite und Schuldenfinanzierung in einer islamischen Volkswirtschaft geregelt sind. Bei der Darstellung des islamischen Blickwinkels auf diese Themen werden Richtlinen herangezogen, die in Malaysia von ökonomen und Institutionen der Finanzwelt erarbeitet und angenommen wurden. Der Autor erklärt, welche Handels- und Kreditformen als Wucher betrachtet werden und deshalb verboten sind. Zinsforderungen auf Darlehen sind nicht zulässig, aber es gibt verschiedene Formen von Handelsverträgen in Abzahlungsform, die verwendet werden können, um Verbrauchern zu ermöglichen, Käufe auf Kredit zu machen. Die üblichsten dieser Formen werden ziemlich genau beschrieben. Ihnen ist gemeinsam, da\ die Verbraucher während der Zeit ihrer Ratenzahlungen volles Eigentum an der gekauften Ware haben. Eine Zahlungsunfähigkeits-Klausel, die berücksichtigt, da\ Konsumenten wegen äu\erer Umstände nicht immer in der Lage sein können, ihren Zahlungsverpflichtungen nachzukommen, ist immer Bestandteil dieser Kreditverträge. Einige Vorschläge zur Milderung von Inflationsproblemen bei kreditfinanzierten Käufen werden ebenfalls beschrieben. Im letzten Abschnitt wird gezeight, da\ auch innerhalb der islamischen Welt, abhängig von den jeweiligen Prioritäten eines bestimmten islamischen Landes, eine Vielfalt von Positionen zu Themen wie Verbraucherkredit existiert. Hinzu kommt, da\ in einem Land wie Malaysia trotz einer stärkeren Hinwendung zu islamischen Ansätzen, islamische und konventionelle Systeme nebeneinander existieren. Die Zukunft wird zeigen, welches dieser Systeme den Bedürfnissen stärker entgegenkommt.

     

Capital Structure and Value of Advertising Expenditures: Evidence from an Emerging Market

International Advances in Economic Research - This paper documents a non-linear impact of capital structure on the value of advertising expenditures in India during the period between 2004 and...     

Work‐related attitudes and job characteristics of expatriates in Saudi Arabia

This study investigates the influence of job satisfaction, job autonomy, job variety, task identity, feedback, and employee demographics on organizational commitment among self‐initiated expatriates (SIEs) in Saudi Arabia. An examination of a sample of 481 SIEs reveals that only job satisfaction and job variety are related to organizational commitment. The rest—job characteristics and demographics—are unrelated to organizational commitment. The findings and the anomalies of the findings are discussed. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Price supply response of vegetable growers in the Sultanate of Oman

Information on supply price elasticities has been acknowledged as being very important for decision makers at the macro and micro levels. This paper presents an empirical investigation of vegetable growers' responses to prices in Oman. It develops a single supply response function incorporating adaptive expectation model for prices. Results indicate that growers adjust relatively fast to changes in expected prices. However, these adjustments tire rather low for some crop in the short-and long-run. Growers' production decisions have also shown a significant response to prices of other products competing for farm space and other production resources. These results will support efforts aimed at market development and crop enhancement programs.     

Multinational Enterprises’ Entry Mode Strategies in Syria and Jordan: The Impact of Ownership Advantages

This study addresses the issue of ownership advantages affecting multinational enterprises’ (MNEs) entry mode strategies in developing countries. Although a few studies have focused on such effects, very little attention has been devoted to the ownership advantages generated from the institutional environment of MNEs’ home countries. To bridge this gap, this study concentrates on three types of ownership advantages: intangible asset advantages (IAA), advantages of common governance (ACG), and home‐country‐specific advantages (HCSA). Using a sample of 303 foreign affiliates, this study empirically examines the choice of MNEs between a wholly owned subsidiary (WOS) and a joint venture (JV). The data were collected from senior executives of MNEs’ subsidiaries operating in Syria and Jordan. The findings of this study reveal that MNEs’ choice of entry mode strategies is significantly influenced by intangible asset advantages, advantages of common governance, and home‐country‐specific advantages. Hence, senior executives perceiving an increased importance of these assets will opt for a WOS rather than a JV when entering a new market in the Middle East. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

An Intra-City Analysis of House Price Convergence and Spatial Dependence

The Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics - This paper seeks to test the intra-city convergence of house prices using the comprehensive suburban house price and census data for a key...