Farah Adibah Che Ishak | UPM - Universiti Putra Malaysia (original) (raw)
Papers by Farah Adibah Che Ishak
![Research paper thumbnail of The readiness theme development from a case study in Thailand halal restaurants / Wannasiri Wannasupchue … [et al.]](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/115830407/thumbnails/1.jpg)
](Tourism industry in Thailand had generated a significant amount of the country's revenue, with ap... more Tourism industry in Thailand had generated a significant amount of the country's revenue, with approximately USD54 billion in 2017. The number of tourist arrival is expected to continue to increase by 10 percent annually, which in turn would increase the revenue of the food and beverage sector. The northeastern area in Thailand is becoming popular among Muslim travelers and the demand of halal food is increasing. Nevertheless, the number of halal certified restaurants in the northeastern region is meagre to match the influx of Muslim tourists into the area. A number of restaurants in northeastern area provide halal food without a halal certificate. Restaurants with a halal logo displayed can facilitate tourists' selection of an eating outlet. Hence, the purpose of this study is to identify, by means of a qualitative approach, the readiness of the noncertified halal restaurant towards obtaining halal certification. Semi-structure interviews were conducted with informants comprising (1) operators of halal certified restaurants (HCRs) and non-certified halal restaurants (NCHRs) and (2) the halal authority. The data was analysed using ATLAS where six themes emerged from the thematic analysis. Appropriateness, management support, change efficacy, discrepancy, personally beneficial, and perception towards change efforts were the readiness dimensions developed from this study. This study also mapped the readiness of the restaurants into six readiness stages. NCHRs were identified to be at the pre-contemplation and contemplation stages. Meanwhile, HCRs were classified to be at the maintenance and terminate stages. In addition, the findings could facilitate better understanding of the current situations and efforts that should be carried out by the authorised bodies to promote halal food in Thailand.
International journal of academic research in business & social sciences, Mar 26, 2020
Given the limited studies on Halal food management system, this study seeks to assess the relatio... more Given the limited studies on Halal food management system, this study seeks to assess the relationship between the implementation of Halal food management system critical constructs, operational performance and product quality. A total of 163 samples collected from Halal certified SMEs manufacturers in Malaysia were used for data analysis. Data were initially subjected to exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to identify the underlying constructs. Partial least squares (PLS) was then used to examine the extent to which implementation of halal food management system critical constructs influence operational performance and product quality. The results showed that not all critical constructs were directly and positively associated with organisational performance and product quality. The lack of significant relationships between critical constructs and performance constructs are intriguing and should be an impetus for further investigations into potential contingencies and indirect associations of Halal food management system critical constructs on performance constructs. In addition, rather than a piecemeal approach, companies may need to holistically and systemically implement all the Halal food management system critical constructs.
International journal of academic research in business & social sciences, Mar 31, 2020
Researchers advocated that there are many issues of fresh graduates' competencies, including insu... more Researchers advocated that there are many issues of fresh graduates' competencies, including insufficient skills to meet the requirement as expected by the industry. The purpose of this study was to discover the entry-level competencies demanded by the restaurant employers towards fresh graduates. The dynamic workforce and the mismatch competencies claimed by employers are the issues that trigger education stakeholders, particularly in Malaysia. Responses were obtained from eight restaurant managers in Klang Valley, through a semi-structured interview. The data were then analyzed using thematic analysis. There were nine competencies emerged from this study, which reflect the entry-level competencies demanded by restaurant managers towards fresh graduates, namely: 1) attitude and behavior, 2) cognitive skill, 3) communication skill, 4) knowledge in the discipline area, 5) professionalism and work ethics, 6) technical skill, 7) teamwork, 8) leadership and 9) experience. It is anticipated that the findings will be able to fulfill the restaurant's needs by giving a clear picture of the essential competencies that need to be infused in the university's curriculum. Besides, both educators and fresh graduates will have an insight into the preparation for working in the restaurant industry.
International journal of Asian social science, 2019
International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences
The Covid-19 pandemic that hit turned out to stretch a tremendous impact to the Malaysia economy ... more The Covid-19 pandemic that hit turned out to stretch a tremendous impact to the Malaysia economy in macro and micro level including the SMEs company. Statistic shows that 37,415 business operators from the SMEs cluster had severely affected and have got to closed the business due to the enforcement of Movement Control Order (MCO). Despite large numbers of business closure, there are also some small and medium F&B operator who have managed to generate more income during pandemic. Moreover, data issued by Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM), from 1 April to 19 July 2020, 82,555 new businesses were registered. This show that, COVID-19 does not prevent anyone to venture into business including SMEs. Sustainable SMEs play a key role in a country's long-term viability. In order to redevelop the collapse of SMEs during Covid-19, deeper attention and consideration are needed to discover the causes of this phenomena. Study about the impact of entrepreneurial resilience on success of small and medium F&B operator during COVID-19 in Malaysia are very scanty. Thus, this study is done to explore a lack of study on Malaysian small and medium food operator's success during pandemic attributed by entrepreneurial resilience. In future this study could give direction and description of ways to sustain during pandemic among F&B SMEs.
International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences
This research is a pilot study using qualitative method with phenomenological case study approach... more This research is a pilot study using qualitative method with phenomenological case study approach. Its objective is to explore the challenges of sustaining dodol among entrepreneurs in the southern states of Malaysia. In-depth, face-to-face semi-structured interviews were conducted on three informants who are also dodol entrepreneurs. There are two research questions in this study. The first research question is "How do the entrepreneurs preserve dodol?" in which three subthemes have emerged i.e., (i) maintaining the use of natural ingredients of dodol, (ii) using traditional tips or petua in the process of making dodol and (iii) maintaining traditional skills in the process of making dodol. The second research question is "What are the challenges faced by their businesses to sustain dodol?" in which four themes have emerged i.e., (i) the preservation of dodol's authentic taste, (ii) the financial challenges in maintaining the business, (iii) the lack of quality ingredients and sources to produce dodol and (iv) the lack of workforce in the process of cooking dodol. The findings of this pilot study revealed the current challenges to sustain dodol business and to preserve dodol as a Malay traditional or heritage food.
International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences
Today's explosion of technology revolutionizes the fast-food industry worldwide, including Malays... more Today's explosion of technology revolutionizes the fast-food industry worldwide, including Malaysia. Increasingly, restaurant management teams have begun to embrace technology to provide electronic services to customers without requiring direct interaction with personnel. These technological interfaces have known as self-service technologies (SSTs). However, the use of SSTs has been the topic of recent studies. The issues that arise include the customer's reluctance to use the SSTs caused by technical errors, device failure, and the customer's involuntary participation in self-service technology. Therefore, the indication of customer experiences to create a holistic understanding in implementing technological change for an individual is still lacking. Thus, this study aims to investigate why customers use SSTs in the fast-food industry? This study employs qualitative research using in-depth interviews with ten customers who have experienced using the SSTs and physical observation. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the interviews after verbatim transcription. Five motivations for customers' SSTs usage have been identified in this research: meeting needs, alternative options, convenience, access to lower prices and forced usage. As a result, restaurants may
International journal of academic research in business & social sciences, May 5, 2023
Despite extensive research on staging the dining experience in a restaurant, the customer experie... more Despite extensive research on staging the dining experience in a restaurant, the customer experience in patronizing ethnic restaurants remains under-investigated. It is important to note that ethnic restaurants are popular among tourists and play a significant role in meeting the demands of the food tourism industry. However, there has been insufficient relevant research to understand the potential of ethnic restaurants as a marketing tool in the tourism industry. Thus, this paper seeks to address this gap by exploring the strategies used by ethnic restaurants to stage memorable dining experiences. A narrative review approach was applied to 60 articles obtained from scholarly search engines to provide a comprehensive view of the strategies implemented by ethnic restaurants. The strategies were classified into six categories; (1) offering an authentic quality menu; (2) strengthening cultural identity through the physical environment; (3) creating harmonious ambiance; (4) using proper and suitable lighting and colours; (5) providing quality services and improving performance; and (6) collaboration projects with the tourism stakeholders. By implementing these strategies, ethnic restaurants can be positioned as a complete package in food tourism marketing, providing both authentic food and a memorable dining experience.
International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences
Within the food heritage topic, the traditional food has always been given the limelight for cult... more Within the food heritage topic, the traditional food has always been given the limelight for cultural celebration as well as a nation's identity representation. It has been researched more these days as the value in promoting it to the world promises national economic growth by the tourism activities. However, given the fact that the world is moving forward with globalization, standardization is becoming more apparent across the globe and the traditional food has been getting more threats than just age. In Malaysia specifically, the question of authenticity in the Malay traditional food in general is a never-ending debacle. The argument of what is authentic is still going on with plethora of justifications that are adapting to, and against the standardization. To investigate the matter, a qualitative research design is proposed, and pilot study was initiated. The traditional Malay kuih was chosen to be the object of the research as its product breadth is a range of dynamic delicacies to the sensory as well as traditions. The producers of traditional Malay kuih are the vital informants to expose the insightful meaning of authenticity in the delicacies, and the practices that they normalized to make them accordingly. Considering that these producers are well established
International Academic Symposium of Social Science 2022
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY
Thinking Skills and Creativity
International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences
Journal of Ethnic Foods
Traditional food has long been recognised as an integral aspect of community across the globe. It... more Traditional food has long been recognised as an integral aspect of community across the globe. It varies from one community to another and is treasured as an image representation. Traditional Malay kuih in Malaysia, however, lacks its definition. The word kuih itself is loosely used to group a collection of either sweet desserts or savoury snacks. Acknowledging that the district of Mersing in Johor is an underexposed heritage site in Malaysia, this study disinters the traditional Malay kuih nuances as a regional ethnic food. Qualitative method was employed involving 14 kuih experts in Mersing to answer the research question “What is the meaning of traditional Malay kuih in Mersing?” in which semi-structured, in-depth, and face-to-face interviews were conducted. The interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim to ensure accurate results. Thematic analysis was used to identify the codes, categories, and themes as the nuances of traditional Malay kuih in Mersing. The themes ...
Malaysian Journal of Society and Space
The aim of this study is to determine the acceptance factors that influence in existing service p... more The aim of this study is to determine the acceptance factors that influence in existing service provided on passenger satisfaction in Airasia airline as a one of the low-cost carrier industry. Various variables which influences on passengers such as baggage handling services system, on board flight environment and online purchasing ticket. A total of 100 respondents were from domestic and international departures on a boarding waiting time at Senai International Airport, Johor Bharu. The problem statement in this study is “The acceptance factors of the existing services provided by Airasia are not well effective that can give impact to the customer’s comfortably when they purchase the Airasia services (Kalaiarasan et al., 2015). The online purchasing ticket, baggage system services and cabin facility and services still get the complaint and negative perception from customers even thought, Airasia already long established in Malaysia and one of the biggest airlines company in the Asi...
Journal of Ethnic Foods, 2020
Malaysia is synonymously known as a multicultural country flourished with gastronomic nuances in ... more Malaysia is synonymously known as a multicultural country flourished with gastronomic nuances in abundance. Within the multitude of well-known savory foods available through the history of Malaysia, kuih has always bestowed a special part in the Malaysian diet. Kuih houses varying types of delicacies ranging from sweets to savory treats or snacks. As with its counterparts in the Malay cuisine, kuih has also been influenced by many historical events led by the migration of Chinese, Indians, and other explorers or visitors to Malaysia in the olden days. This casually developed the Malay kuih which now coined as the traditional Malay kuih; traditional as in the way that the classical values and authenticity were respected and established then. As time progresses and changes the lifestyle of Malays, newly innovated products are at the rise and emerged another type of kuih with somewhat similar characteristics to that of traditional Malay kuih, namely Nyonya Kuih. Nyonya kuih noted to be...
International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 2020
Given the limited studies on Halal food management system, this study seeks to assess the relatio... more Given the limited studies on Halal food management system, this study seeks to assess the relationship between the implementation of Halal food management system critical constructs, operational performance and product quality. A total of 163 samples collected from Halal certified SMEs manufacturers in Malaysia were used for data analysis. Data were initially subjected to exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to identify the underlying constructs. Partial least squares (PLS) was then used to examine the extent to which implementation of halal food management system critical constructs influence operational performance and product quality. The results showed that not all critical constructs were directly and positively associated with organisational performance and product quality. The lack of significant relationships between critical constructs and performance constructs are intriguing and should be an impetus for further investigations into potential contingencies and indirect associations of Halal food management system critical constructs on performance constructs. In addition, rather than a piecemeal approach, companies may need to holistically and systemically implement all the Halal food management system critical constructs.
International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 2020
The diversity of foodservice establishments in the market not only extending the menu options but... more The diversity of foodservice establishments in the market not only extending the menu options but also offering a wider range of dining experiences. In particular, dining at a themed restaurant is viewed as an authentic, fun and pleasurable experience. However, a small glitch from the management may turn down the whole dining experience. Thus, the objective of this research is twofold; to identify the uniqueness of the themed restaurant in delivering the authentic dining experience, and to explore the weaknesses leading to the poor dining experience. Through qualitative research, this study has interviewed a number of customers who experienced dining in various themed restaurants across Klang Valley area. Semi-structured interviews had been carried out in the process to assist the researcher in getting a deeper understanding of experience consumption. Participant observation was also executed through field visits to the selected restaurants to get the first-hand experience. Based on the results, it showed that customers enjoyed the dining moments because of the aesthetic facility, comforting ambiance, and attentive service staff. In contrast, including inadequate restaurant maintenance, the contradiction of expectation with reality in food presentation and pricy menu items contribute to poor dining experience. The contributing factors to these experiences were discovered hence filled the gap of previous studies and offer the future researchers a deeper understanding of the themed restaurant's forte. Practically, the findings can help the existing and new restaurateurs to improve their offerings in staging a unique dining experience that satisfies the customers' needs and wants.
International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 2021
Placing Industry Revolution 4.0 (IR4.0) at the forefront of the digital agenda in all manufacturi... more Placing Industry Revolution 4.0 (IR4.0) at the forefront of the digital agenda in all manufacturing industries aims to modernize industrial capability and increase competitiveness. The foodservice industry embraces this current revolution, where digital dining offers mesmerizing experiences by making the trip to restaurants more appealing and interactive. However, it is questionable if Malaysia is ready to adapt or adopt IR4.0 technologies as issues pertaining to equipment, facilities, services, and employees appear as challenges. Thus, this study explores the internal issues and identifies external challenges the QSR restaurants' managerial team faces in implementing the self-ordering kiosk (SOKs). This qualitative research obtained the data from interview sessions with informants from the management team (managers and crews) of QSR restaurants applying SOKs at their places. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings showed that among the internal issues in implementing the SOKs are the insufficient number of employees and limited restaurant space. The customer acceptances, technology restrictions, and the need for regular updates are within the restaurants' external challenges in executing this innovation. In conclusion, the findings of this research can facilitate existing restaurants in managing the technology applied and, at the same time, improve their service in offering a digital dining experience to millennial customers.
Tourism industry in Thailand had generated a significant amount of the country's revenue, with ap... more Tourism industry in Thailand had generated a significant amount of the country's revenue, with approximately USD54 billion in 2017. The number of tourist arrival is expected to continue to increase by 10 percent annually, which in turn would increase the revenue of the food and beverage sector. The northeastern area in Thailand is becoming popular among Muslim travelers and the demand of halal food is increasing. Nevertheless, the number of halal certified restaurants in the northeastern region is meagre to match the influx of Muslim tourists into the area. A number of restaurants in northeastern area provide halal food without a halal certificate. Restaurants with a halal logo displayed can facilitate tourists' selection of an eating outlet. Hence, the purpose of this study is to identify, by means of a qualitative approach, the readiness of the noncertified halal restaurant towards obtaining halal certification. Semi-structure interviews were conducted with informants comprising (1) operators of halal certified restaurants (HCRs) and non-certified halal restaurants (NCHRs) and (2) the halal authority. The data was analysed using ATLAS where six themes emerged from the thematic analysis. Appropriateness, management support, change efficacy, discrepancy, personally beneficial, and perception towards change efforts were the readiness dimensions developed from this study. This study also mapped the readiness of the restaurants into six readiness stages. NCHRs were identified to be at the pre-contemplation and contemplation stages. Meanwhile, HCRs were classified to be at the maintenance and terminate stages. In addition, the findings could facilitate better understanding of the current situations and efforts that should be carried out by the authorised bodies to promote halal food in Thailand.
International journal of academic research in business & social sciences, Mar 26, 2020
Given the limited studies on Halal food management system, this study seeks to assess the relatio... more Given the limited studies on Halal food management system, this study seeks to assess the relationship between the implementation of Halal food management system critical constructs, operational performance and product quality. A total of 163 samples collected from Halal certified SMEs manufacturers in Malaysia were used for data analysis. Data were initially subjected to exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to identify the underlying constructs. Partial least squares (PLS) was then used to examine the extent to which implementation of halal food management system critical constructs influence operational performance and product quality. The results showed that not all critical constructs were directly and positively associated with organisational performance and product quality. The lack of significant relationships between critical constructs and performance constructs are intriguing and should be an impetus for further investigations into potential contingencies and indirect associations of Halal food management system critical constructs on performance constructs. In addition, rather than a piecemeal approach, companies may need to holistically and systemically implement all the Halal food management system critical constructs.
International journal of academic research in business & social sciences, Mar 31, 2020
Researchers advocated that there are many issues of fresh graduates' competencies, including insu... more Researchers advocated that there are many issues of fresh graduates' competencies, including insufficient skills to meet the requirement as expected by the industry. The purpose of this study was to discover the entry-level competencies demanded by the restaurant employers towards fresh graduates. The dynamic workforce and the mismatch competencies claimed by employers are the issues that trigger education stakeholders, particularly in Malaysia. Responses were obtained from eight restaurant managers in Klang Valley, through a semi-structured interview. The data were then analyzed using thematic analysis. There were nine competencies emerged from this study, which reflect the entry-level competencies demanded by restaurant managers towards fresh graduates, namely: 1) attitude and behavior, 2) cognitive skill, 3) communication skill, 4) knowledge in the discipline area, 5) professionalism and work ethics, 6) technical skill, 7) teamwork, 8) leadership and 9) experience. It is anticipated that the findings will be able to fulfill the restaurant's needs by giving a clear picture of the essential competencies that need to be infused in the university's curriculum. Besides, both educators and fresh graduates will have an insight into the preparation for working in the restaurant industry.
International journal of Asian social science, 2019
International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences
The Covid-19 pandemic that hit turned out to stretch a tremendous impact to the Malaysia economy ... more The Covid-19 pandemic that hit turned out to stretch a tremendous impact to the Malaysia economy in macro and micro level including the SMEs company. Statistic shows that 37,415 business operators from the SMEs cluster had severely affected and have got to closed the business due to the enforcement of Movement Control Order (MCO). Despite large numbers of business closure, there are also some small and medium F&B operator who have managed to generate more income during pandemic. Moreover, data issued by Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM), from 1 April to 19 July 2020, 82,555 new businesses were registered. This show that, COVID-19 does not prevent anyone to venture into business including SMEs. Sustainable SMEs play a key role in a country's long-term viability. In order to redevelop the collapse of SMEs during Covid-19, deeper attention and consideration are needed to discover the causes of this phenomena. Study about the impact of entrepreneurial resilience on success of small and medium F&B operator during COVID-19 in Malaysia are very scanty. Thus, this study is done to explore a lack of study on Malaysian small and medium food operator's success during pandemic attributed by entrepreneurial resilience. In future this study could give direction and description of ways to sustain during pandemic among F&B SMEs.
International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences
This research is a pilot study using qualitative method with phenomenological case study approach... more This research is a pilot study using qualitative method with phenomenological case study approach. Its objective is to explore the challenges of sustaining dodol among entrepreneurs in the southern states of Malaysia. In-depth, face-to-face semi-structured interviews were conducted on three informants who are also dodol entrepreneurs. There are two research questions in this study. The first research question is "How do the entrepreneurs preserve dodol?" in which three subthemes have emerged i.e., (i) maintaining the use of natural ingredients of dodol, (ii) using traditional tips or petua in the process of making dodol and (iii) maintaining traditional skills in the process of making dodol. The second research question is "What are the challenges faced by their businesses to sustain dodol?" in which four themes have emerged i.e., (i) the preservation of dodol's authentic taste, (ii) the financial challenges in maintaining the business, (iii) the lack of quality ingredients and sources to produce dodol and (iv) the lack of workforce in the process of cooking dodol. The findings of this pilot study revealed the current challenges to sustain dodol business and to preserve dodol as a Malay traditional or heritage food.
International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences
Today's explosion of technology revolutionizes the fast-food industry worldwide, including Malays... more Today's explosion of technology revolutionizes the fast-food industry worldwide, including Malaysia. Increasingly, restaurant management teams have begun to embrace technology to provide electronic services to customers without requiring direct interaction with personnel. These technological interfaces have known as self-service technologies (SSTs). However, the use of SSTs has been the topic of recent studies. The issues that arise include the customer's reluctance to use the SSTs caused by technical errors, device failure, and the customer's involuntary participation in self-service technology. Therefore, the indication of customer experiences to create a holistic understanding in implementing technological change for an individual is still lacking. Thus, this study aims to investigate why customers use SSTs in the fast-food industry? This study employs qualitative research using in-depth interviews with ten customers who have experienced using the SSTs and physical observation. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the interviews after verbatim transcription. Five motivations for customers' SSTs usage have been identified in this research: meeting needs, alternative options, convenience, access to lower prices and forced usage. As a result, restaurants may
International journal of academic research in business & social sciences, May 5, 2023
Despite extensive research on staging the dining experience in a restaurant, the customer experie... more Despite extensive research on staging the dining experience in a restaurant, the customer experience in patronizing ethnic restaurants remains under-investigated. It is important to note that ethnic restaurants are popular among tourists and play a significant role in meeting the demands of the food tourism industry. However, there has been insufficient relevant research to understand the potential of ethnic restaurants as a marketing tool in the tourism industry. Thus, this paper seeks to address this gap by exploring the strategies used by ethnic restaurants to stage memorable dining experiences. A narrative review approach was applied to 60 articles obtained from scholarly search engines to provide a comprehensive view of the strategies implemented by ethnic restaurants. The strategies were classified into six categories; (1) offering an authentic quality menu; (2) strengthening cultural identity through the physical environment; (3) creating harmonious ambiance; (4) using proper and suitable lighting and colours; (5) providing quality services and improving performance; and (6) collaboration projects with the tourism stakeholders. By implementing these strategies, ethnic restaurants can be positioned as a complete package in food tourism marketing, providing both authentic food and a memorable dining experience.
International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences
Within the food heritage topic, the traditional food has always been given the limelight for cult... more Within the food heritage topic, the traditional food has always been given the limelight for cultural celebration as well as a nation's identity representation. It has been researched more these days as the value in promoting it to the world promises national economic growth by the tourism activities. However, given the fact that the world is moving forward with globalization, standardization is becoming more apparent across the globe and the traditional food has been getting more threats than just age. In Malaysia specifically, the question of authenticity in the Malay traditional food in general is a never-ending debacle. The argument of what is authentic is still going on with plethora of justifications that are adapting to, and against the standardization. To investigate the matter, a qualitative research design is proposed, and pilot study was initiated. The traditional Malay kuih was chosen to be the object of the research as its product breadth is a range of dynamic delicacies to the sensory as well as traditions. The producers of traditional Malay kuih are the vital informants to expose the insightful meaning of authenticity in the delicacies, and the practices that they normalized to make them accordingly. Considering that these producers are well established
International Academic Symposium of Social Science 2022
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY
Thinking Skills and Creativity
International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences
Journal of Ethnic Foods
Traditional food has long been recognised as an integral aspect of community across the globe. It... more Traditional food has long been recognised as an integral aspect of community across the globe. It varies from one community to another and is treasured as an image representation. Traditional Malay kuih in Malaysia, however, lacks its definition. The word kuih itself is loosely used to group a collection of either sweet desserts or savoury snacks. Acknowledging that the district of Mersing in Johor is an underexposed heritage site in Malaysia, this study disinters the traditional Malay kuih nuances as a regional ethnic food. Qualitative method was employed involving 14 kuih experts in Mersing to answer the research question “What is the meaning of traditional Malay kuih in Mersing?” in which semi-structured, in-depth, and face-to-face interviews were conducted. The interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim to ensure accurate results. Thematic analysis was used to identify the codes, categories, and themes as the nuances of traditional Malay kuih in Mersing. The themes ...
Malaysian Journal of Society and Space
The aim of this study is to determine the acceptance factors that influence in existing service p... more The aim of this study is to determine the acceptance factors that influence in existing service provided on passenger satisfaction in Airasia airline as a one of the low-cost carrier industry. Various variables which influences on passengers such as baggage handling services system, on board flight environment and online purchasing ticket. A total of 100 respondents were from domestic and international departures on a boarding waiting time at Senai International Airport, Johor Bharu. The problem statement in this study is “The acceptance factors of the existing services provided by Airasia are not well effective that can give impact to the customer’s comfortably when they purchase the Airasia services (Kalaiarasan et al., 2015). The online purchasing ticket, baggage system services and cabin facility and services still get the complaint and negative perception from customers even thought, Airasia already long established in Malaysia and one of the biggest airlines company in the Asi...
Journal of Ethnic Foods, 2020
Malaysia is synonymously known as a multicultural country flourished with gastronomic nuances in ... more Malaysia is synonymously known as a multicultural country flourished with gastronomic nuances in abundance. Within the multitude of well-known savory foods available through the history of Malaysia, kuih has always bestowed a special part in the Malaysian diet. Kuih houses varying types of delicacies ranging from sweets to savory treats or snacks. As with its counterparts in the Malay cuisine, kuih has also been influenced by many historical events led by the migration of Chinese, Indians, and other explorers or visitors to Malaysia in the olden days. This casually developed the Malay kuih which now coined as the traditional Malay kuih; traditional as in the way that the classical values and authenticity were respected and established then. As time progresses and changes the lifestyle of Malays, newly innovated products are at the rise and emerged another type of kuih with somewhat similar characteristics to that of traditional Malay kuih, namely Nyonya Kuih. Nyonya kuih noted to be...
International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 2020
Given the limited studies on Halal food management system, this study seeks to assess the relatio... more Given the limited studies on Halal food management system, this study seeks to assess the relationship between the implementation of Halal food management system critical constructs, operational performance and product quality. A total of 163 samples collected from Halal certified SMEs manufacturers in Malaysia were used for data analysis. Data were initially subjected to exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to identify the underlying constructs. Partial least squares (PLS) was then used to examine the extent to which implementation of halal food management system critical constructs influence operational performance and product quality. The results showed that not all critical constructs were directly and positively associated with organisational performance and product quality. The lack of significant relationships between critical constructs and performance constructs are intriguing and should be an impetus for further investigations into potential contingencies and indirect associations of Halal food management system critical constructs on performance constructs. In addition, rather than a piecemeal approach, companies may need to holistically and systemically implement all the Halal food management system critical constructs.
International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 2020
The diversity of foodservice establishments in the market not only extending the menu options but... more The diversity of foodservice establishments in the market not only extending the menu options but also offering a wider range of dining experiences. In particular, dining at a themed restaurant is viewed as an authentic, fun and pleasurable experience. However, a small glitch from the management may turn down the whole dining experience. Thus, the objective of this research is twofold; to identify the uniqueness of the themed restaurant in delivering the authentic dining experience, and to explore the weaknesses leading to the poor dining experience. Through qualitative research, this study has interviewed a number of customers who experienced dining in various themed restaurants across Klang Valley area. Semi-structured interviews had been carried out in the process to assist the researcher in getting a deeper understanding of experience consumption. Participant observation was also executed through field visits to the selected restaurants to get the first-hand experience. Based on the results, it showed that customers enjoyed the dining moments because of the aesthetic facility, comforting ambiance, and attentive service staff. In contrast, including inadequate restaurant maintenance, the contradiction of expectation with reality in food presentation and pricy menu items contribute to poor dining experience. The contributing factors to these experiences were discovered hence filled the gap of previous studies and offer the future researchers a deeper understanding of the themed restaurant's forte. Practically, the findings can help the existing and new restaurateurs to improve their offerings in staging a unique dining experience that satisfies the customers' needs and wants.
International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 2021
Placing Industry Revolution 4.0 (IR4.0) at the forefront of the digital agenda in all manufacturi... more Placing Industry Revolution 4.0 (IR4.0) at the forefront of the digital agenda in all manufacturing industries aims to modernize industrial capability and increase competitiveness. The foodservice industry embraces this current revolution, where digital dining offers mesmerizing experiences by making the trip to restaurants more appealing and interactive. However, it is questionable if Malaysia is ready to adapt or adopt IR4.0 technologies as issues pertaining to equipment, facilities, services, and employees appear as challenges. Thus, this study explores the internal issues and identifies external challenges the QSR restaurants' managerial team faces in implementing the self-ordering kiosk (SOKs). This qualitative research obtained the data from interview sessions with informants from the management team (managers and crews) of QSR restaurants applying SOKs at their places. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings showed that among the internal issues in implementing the SOKs are the insufficient number of employees and limited restaurant space. The customer acceptances, technology restrictions, and the need for regular updates are within the restaurants' external challenges in executing this innovation. In conclusion, the findings of this research can facilitate existing restaurants in managing the technology applied and, at the same time, improve their service in offering a digital dining experience to millennial customers.