10 Sept 2023

Our latest book published - Consumers, Society and Marketing: A Sustainability Perspective

Book: Consumers, Society and Marketing A Sustainability Perspective

I am delighted to announce the publication of our latest book, 'Consumers, Society and Marketing: A Sustainability Perspective'. 

The book is co-authored with Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ezlika Ghazali and published by Springer. It is part of their CSR, Sustainability, Ethics & Governance (CSEG) series.

The book offers valuable insights into the evolving world of sustainable marketing. Provides insights into the various factors that shape consumer behaviour and the impact of marketing on society. It discusses the evolution of marketing and offers critical insights from a contemporary perspective.

Here is the link to the book: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-39359-4

28 Aug 2023

New paper looking at digital government service quality published

Our paper titled "The mediating role of occupational stress: a missing link between organisational intelligence traits and digital government service quality" has been published in the International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management. 

With my PhD student Dr. Subashini Ramakrishnan and my colleagues at Nottingham Malaysia - Dr. Kenny Wong Meng Seng and Dr. Myint Moe Chit.

This paper incorporates the organisational model of stress with public service-dominant logic. The research examines how digital service quality is influenced by today's high-performing public organisation stressors (organisational intelligence traits) and non-technical elements (occupational stress). More importantly, digital government service quality was examined from a less emphasised perspective, namely the supply side or service providers’ standpoint in sustaining the digital government service performance.

This is the summary of this paper:

The study innovatively explores the mediating role of occupational stress between organizational intelligence traits and digital government service quality in Malaysia, emphasizing the significance of specific employee-oriented traits.

Key points:

📊 Respondent Profile: 200 respondents comprised 50.8% males and 49.2% females across various work experience categories.

📈 Hypothesis Testing: The indirect effect of Organizational Intelligence (OI) Traits on Digital Government Service Quality was found significant at different levels via Occupational Stress.

🧠 Focus on Employees: Employee-oriented OI Traits like “Alignment and Congruence” and “Heart” showed significant indirect effects on service quality.

⚖️ Inconsistent Traits: Some OI traits, such as “Shared Fate” and “Performance Pressure,” had an insignificant effect on occupational stress.

📡 Digital Service Quality: The study extends understanding of digital #servicequality beyond technological aspects, emphasizing occupational stress.

🇲🇾 Malaysian Context: The paper stresses the importance of employee-oriented OI traits in the Malaysian public sector, especially for digital service quality.

🆕 Originality and Value: Innovative approach by blending the organizational model of stress with public #servicedominantlogic, focusing on modern public organization stressors.

🧘 Intervention Strategies: Proposes comprehensive strategies at organisation and individual levels to sustain digital service quality without neglecting psychological wellbeing.

13 Aug 2023

Article on AI Voice Assistants just published

 Our paper titled "Expectations and beyond: The nexus of AI instrumentality and brand credibility in voice assistant retention using extended expectation-confirmation model" has just been published in the Journal of Consumer Behaviour (ABDC A/ SCOPUS/ WOS/ AJG 2). 

My co-authors are Ezlika Ghazali and Na Kai Lun (Universiti Malaya).

Abstract: 

AI-based voice assistants (AIVA) are capable of interpreting human speech and responding with useful information, aiding with tasks, and controlling other devices. The usage of these AIVAs has grown significantly worldwide. Despite this growth, studies on user behavior related to continued usage intention of AIVAs and effects on the long-term commercial sustainability of brands, remain low. What is less understood is the potential of AI instrumentality attributes and brand credibility components in provoking shifts in post-use behavior of AIVAs. This study proposes a model which expands on the Expectation-Confirmation Model for user continuance behavior of AIVAs, by integrating user's technology related traits, AI instrumentality attributes and brand credibility. To verify the research hypotheses, the study employed partial least square—structural equation modelling, based on 281 validated responses of a survey. This study highlights the significance of Optimism, Innovativeness, and Discomfort for post-adoption confirmation. Higher post-adoption confirmation is strongly associated with perceived intelligence, anthropomorphism, information quality, and system quality. Anthropomorphism and information quality are key factors for brand expertise, while anthropomorphism and system quality are significant for brand trustworthiness. The study confirms that brand expertise and trustworthiness lead to post-use satisfaction and use continuance intention. Understanding the antecedents of satisfaction and continuance intention extends the existing literature on AIVAs and provides valuable insights for academics and practitioners alike. Some implications for researchers and managers are discussed.


Here are the key findings:

🧠 Users' Tendencies and Expectations: Users with higher optimism, innovativeness, and lower discomfort have confirmed expectations after using AIVAs, enhancing perceptions of AI-based factors.

📊 Demographics and Perception: Younger, tech-savvy users tend to be less skeptical, not significantly correlating insecurity with confirmation (79.4% being 34 or younger).

👥 Anthropomorphism's Role: Perceived human-like qualities in AIVAs foster connection and familiarity, driving brand trustworthiness and expertise.

ℹ️ Information Quality and Brand Expertise: Accurate and complete information shapes brand expertise but not trustworthiness.

🎛️ System Quality's Impact: A user-friendly system enhances trust in AIVAs, but may not contribute to brand expertise perceptions.

🧩 Intelligence Not a Major Driver: Intelligence is valuable but not a primary factor in brand credibility; focus on anthropomorphism, system quality, and information quality is more critical.

🎗️ Theoretical and Managerial Implications: Insights into factors that influence the adoption and usage of AIVAs, with strategies for product developers and marketers to enhance user confirmation, satisfaction, and continued use.

The paper is open source. 

11 Jul 2023

ABDC Marketing Journal Quality List 2022

This is a long-overdue post. 

Here is the 2022 list of marketing journals in the ABDC Journal Quality List.

No major changes. Some new additions. Previously there were only 60 B journals. The number has now increased to 63. The Spanish Journal of Marketing is a new entrant to the list as a B journal. E-Service Journal and Journal of Business Market Management were previously in another category and are now listed under the Marketing field.

 A* Journals
  1. European Journal of Marketing
  2. Industrial Marketing Management
  3. International Journal of Research in Marketing
  4. Journal of Consumer Psychology
  5. Journal of Consumer Research
  6. Journal of Marketing
  7. Journal of Marketing Research
  8. Journal of Retailing
  9. Journal of Service Research
  10. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science
  11. Marketing Science
 A
  1. Appetite
  2. Australasian Marketing Journal
  3. Food Quality and Preference
  4. Health Promotion International
  5. International Journal of Advertising
  6. International Journal of Bank Marketing
  7. International Journal of Consumer Studies
  8. International Journal of Market Research
  9. International Journal of Public Opinion Research
  10. International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management
  11. International Marketing Review
  12. Journal of Advertising
  13. Journal of Advertising Research
  14. Journal of Brand Management
  15. Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing
  16. Journal of Business Research
  17. Journal of Consumer Affairs
  18. Journal of Consumer Behaviour
  19. Journal of Consumer Marketing
  20. Journal of Hospitality Marketing and Management
  21. Journal of Interactive Marketing
  22. Journal of International Marketing
  23. Journal of Macromarketing
  24. Journal of Marketing Management
  25. Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management
  26. Journal of Product & Brand Management
  27. Journal of Public Policy and Marketing
  28. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services
  29. Journal of Service Theory and Practice
  30. Journal of Services Marketing
  31. Journal of Strategic Marketing
  32. Marketing Intelligence & Planning
  33. Marketing Letters
  34. Marketing Theory
  35. Psychology & Marketing
  36. Public Relations Review
  37. Quantitative Marketing and Economics
  38. Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics
B
  1. Academy of Marketing Studies Journal
  2. Advances in Consumer Research
  3. AMS Review
  4. Asia Pacific Public Relations Journal
  5. Consumption, Markets and Culture
  6. Corporate Communications
  7. Customer Needs and Solutions
  8. Health Marketing Quarterly
  9. International Journal of Emerging Markets
  10. International Journal of Enterprise Network Management
  11. International Journal of Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Marketing
  12. International Journal of Quality and Service Sciences
  13. International Journal of Sports Management and Marketing
  14. International Journal of Sports Marketing and Sponsorship
  15. International Journal of Strategic Communication
  16. International Review of Retail, Distribution and Consumer Research
  17. International Review on Public and Nonprofit Marketing
  18. Journal of Business-to-Business Marketing
  19. Journal of Communication Management
  20. Journal of Consumer Satisfaction, Dissatisfaction and Complaining Behavior
  21. Journal of Current Issues and Research in Advertising
  22. Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management
  23. Journal of Financial Services Marketing
  24. Journal of Food Products Marketing
  25. Journal of Global Fashion Marketing
  26. Journal of Global Marketing
  27. Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science
  28. Journal of Historical Research in Marketing
  29. Journal of Interactive Advertising
  30. Journal of International Consumer Marketing
  31. Journal of International Food and Agribusiness Marketing
  32. Journal of Inter-Organizational Relationships
  33. Journal of Islamic Marketing
  34. Journal of Marketing Behaviour
  35. Journal of Marketing Communications
  36. Journal of Marketing Education
  37. Journal of Marketing for Higher Education
  38. Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice
  39. Journal of Nonprofit & Public Sector Marketing
  40. Journal of Political Marketing
  41. Journal of Promotion Management
  42. Journal of Public Affairs
  43. Journal of Public Relations Research
  44. Journal of Relationship Marketing
  45. Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing
  46. Journal of Research in Marketing and Entrepreneurship
  47. Journal of Revenue & Pricing Management
  48. Journal of Social Marketing
  49. Journal of the Association for Consumer Research
  50. PRism
  51. Public Relations Inquiry
  52. Qualitative Market Research: an international journal
  53. Service Business
  54. Service Industries Journal
  55. Services Marketing Quarterly
  56. Social Marketing Quarterly
  57. Spanish Journal of Marketing – ESIC
  58. Sport Marketing Quarterly
  59. Young Consumers
  60. British Food Journal
  61. E-Service Journal
  62. Journal of Business Market Management
  63. Tobacco Control
C
  1. Advances in International Marketing
  2. Advertising & Society Review
  3. Arts and the Market (formerly Arts Marketing)
  4. Asian Journal of Business Research
  5. Asian Journal of Marketing (SING)
  6. Canadian Journal of Marketing Research
  7. Indian Journal of Marketing
  8. International Journal of Electronic Customer Relationship Management
  9. International Journal of Electronic Marketing and Retailing
  10. International Journal of Healthcare Management
  11. International Journal of Internet Marketing and Advertising
  12. International Journal of Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Marketing
  13. International Journal of Sustainable Design
  14. International Journal of Technology Management and Sustainable Development
  15. International Journal of Technology Marketing
  16. International Journal of Trade and Global Markets
  17. Irish Marketing Review
  18. Journal for Advancement of Marketing Education (JAME)
  19. Journal of Advertising Education
  20. Journal of Customer Behavior
  21. Journal of Database Marketing & Customer Strategy Management
  22. Journal of Digital & Social Media Marketing
  23. Journal of Empirical Generalisations in Marketing Science
  24. Journal of Euromarketing
  25. Journal of Food Distribution Research
  26. Journal of Hospitality Application and Research
  27. Journal of International Marketing and Exporting
  28. Journal of International Marketing and Marketing Research
  29. Journal of Marketing & Social Research
  30. Journal of Marketing Analytics
  31. Journal of Medical Marketing
  32. Journal of Public Relations Education
  33. Journal of Research for Consumers
  34. Journal of Selling
  35. Journal of Services Research
  36. Journal of Sponsorship
  37. Journal of Targeting, Measurement and Analysis for Marketing
  38. Marketing Bulletin
  39. Marketing Education Review
  40. Marketing Health Services
  41. Research in Consumer Behavior: a research annual
  42. Review of Marketing Science
  43. Revista Portuguesa de Marketing
  44. The Marketing Review
  45. Communication Research and Practice

5 Jul 2023

What are Halal Products?

Someone recently asked me what 'Halal Products' actually means.

I feel that I am quite qualified to answer this question even though I am not an Islamic scholar. 

The term 'halal' means acceptable based on Islamic values. Halal principles emphasise following Islamic guidelines in hygiene, purity, safety, production, manufacturing, processing, and the serving of food and other products (Ghazali et al., 2022; Mutum and Ghazali, 2014).

Halal products are a form of religion-compliant products. In other words, they are Sharia or Islamic law compliant (Al-hajla et al., 2019). 

Products which are not Halal are Haram and includes food items that are prohibited by religious dietary laws (e.g., alcohol and pork) (Ghazali et al., 2022). However, Halal products are not restricted to food, and it now covers banking and finance, fashion, travel, media, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and even technology. 

There are various organisations in different countries which are responsible for the official certification of a product as Halal. This includes the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jabatan Kemajuan Islam Malaysia or JAKIM). Halal Certification Organisation (HCO) and Halal Food Authority (HFA) are independent halal certification bodies in the UK. 

In the past, I have expressed my concerns with the marketing practices of numerous Islamic and halal labelled products and companies which have entered the market. Consumers have begun to realise that Islamic-branded products and companies do not necessarily translate into good quality products or business success. The negative stories and other fraud cases related to Islamic and halal labelled products can eventually be detrimental to general trust in these labels (Ghazali & Mutum, 2016). 

REFERENCES:

Ghazali, E., Mutum, D., Waqas, M., Taha, A.Z. and Mohtar, M. (2022). Factors influencing the potential adoption of portable pork DNA detection device, Journal of Islamic Marketing, https://doi.org/10.1108/JIMA-05-2022-0129 [ABDC B/ SCOPUS].

Ghazali, E.M. Mutum, D.S., Waqas, M., Nguyen, B. and Ahmad-Tarmizi, N.A. (2022). Restaurant choice and religious obligation in the absence of halal logo: A serial mediation model, International Journal of Hospitality Management, 101, 103109 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2021.103109 [ABDC A*/ SCOPUS/ WOS/ AJG 3].

Al-hajla, A.H., Nguyen, B., Melewar, T.C., Jayawardhena, C., Mutum, D.  and Ghazali, E. (2019). Understanding the adoption of new religion-compliant products (NRCP) in Islamic markets. Journal of Global Marketing, 32(4), 288-302. [CABS 1/ ABDC B/ SCOPUS]

Butt, M., de-Run, E., U-Din, A. and Mutum, D., (2018). Religious symbolism in Islamic financial service advertisements, Journal of Islamic Marketing, 9(2), 384-401. [ABDC B/ SCOPUS] Selected by the editorial team as Highly Commended in the 2019 Emerald Literati Awards. 

Ghazali, E. & Mutum, D.S. (2016). Islamic Marketing: Compatibility with Contemporary Themes in Marketing, In: Mutum, D.S., Butt, M.M. and Rashid, M., eds., Advances in Islamic Finance, Marketing, and Management: An Asian Perspective, 217-226, Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

Mutum, D. S. & Ghazali, E. (2014). Case Study 4: Ikea Malaysia and the Halal Food Crisis, In Dilip Mutum et al. (Eds), Marketing Cases from Emerging Markets, 31-33, Springer.


14 Apr 2023

List of Marketing Journals in Web of Science

UPDATED; 18/4/2023


 A number of universities want their academics to publish in journals listed in Web of Science (WOS) under Clarivate. Some of my co-authors want to publish only in these ISI journals. Some Universities still refer to the list as the ISI Journals list. If you are confused here is the history:

The Institute of Scientific Information (ISI) created the Web of Science. ISI was bought over by Thomson Reuters in 1992. The ISI intellectual property was later sold by Thomson to Clarivate Analytics in 2016.

So, I created this list so that I do not have to check WoS every time. 

This is the list (arranged alphabetically) of all marketing journals listed in the Social Sciences Citation Index. I have not included the journals listed in Emerging Sources Citation Index. Let me know if I missed any journal.

  1. ADVANCES IN CONSUMER RESEARCH Q4
  2. ASIA PACIFIC JOURNAL OF MARKETING AND LOGISTICS Q2
  3. CONSUMPTION MARKETS & CULTURE Q3
  4. ELECTRONIC MARKETS Q1
  5. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF MARKETING Q2
  6. INDUSTRIAL MARKETING MANAGEMENT Q1
  7. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ADVERTISING
  8. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BANK MARKETING Q2
  9. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CONSUMER STUDIES Q2
  10. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MARKET RESEARCH Q3
  11. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN MARKETING Q1
  12. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SPORTS MARKETING & SPONSORSHIP Q2
  13. INTERNATIONAL MARKETING REVIEW Q2
  14. JOURNAL OF ADVERTISING Q1
  15. JOURNAL OF ADVERTISING RESEARCH Q2
  16. JOURNAL OF BRAND MANAGEMENT Q2
  17. JOURNAL OF BUSINESS & INDUSTRIAL MARKETING Q2
  18. JOURNAL OF BUSINESS-TO-BUSINESS MARKETING Q3
  19. JOURNAL OF CONSUMER RESEARCH Q1
  20. JOURNAL OF CONSUMER PSYCHOLOGY Q2
  21. JOURNAL OF DESTINATION MARKETING & MANAGEMENT Q1
  22. JOURNAL OF FASHION MARKETING AND MANAGEMENT Q2
  23. JOURNAL OF GLOBAL SCHOLARS OF MARKETING SCIENCE Q3
  24. JOURNAL OF HOSPITALITY MARKETING & MANAGEMENT Q1
  25. JOURNAL OF INTERACTIVE MARKETING Q1
  26. JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL MARKETING Q1
  27. JOURNAL OF MARKETING Q1
  28. JOURNAL OF MARKETING FOR HIGHER EDUCATION Q1
  29. JOURNAL OF MARKETING MANAGEMENT Q2
  30. JOURNAL OF MARKETING RESEARCH Q1
  31. JOURNAL OF PRODUCT AND BRAND MANAGEMENT Q2
  32. JOURNAL OF PUBLIC POLICY & MARKETING Q2
  33. JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN INTERACTIVE MARKETING Q1
  34. JOURNAL OF RETAILING Q1
  35. JOURNAL OF SERVICES MARKETING Q2
  36. JOURNAL OF SOCIAL MARKETING Q3
  37. JOURNAL OF STRATEGIC MARKETING Q2
  38. JOURNAL OF THE ACADEMY OF MARKETING SCIENCE Q1
  39. JOURNAL OF TRAVEL & TOURISM MARKETING Q1
  40. JOURNAL OF VACATION MARKETING Q2
  41. MARKETING INTELLIGENCE & PLANNING Q2
  42. MARKETING LETTERS Q2
  43. MARKETING SCIENCE Q2
  44. MARKETING THEORY Q2
  45. PSYCHOLOGY & MARKETING
  46. RETAIL AND MARKETING REVIEW Q4
  47. QME-QUANTITATIVE MARKETING AND ECONOMICS
  48. SPORT MARKETING QUARTERLY


Paper on digital government service quality published in the Journal of Service Theory and Practice

Our paper, " Occupational stress as a mediator between organisational intelligence traits and digital government service quality: a tri...