Wong Chee Hoo

Previous studies have demonstrated varying associations between fundamental components of brand equity within diverse sectors. The purpose of the current study is to examine the influence of Aaker’s brand equity model’s dimensions (brand awareness, brand loyalty, perceived quality, and brand association) on brand equity in the context of toy brands in Malaysia. The study employs a quantitative-based correlation design within a non-controlled setting, using a cross-sectional approach with individuals as the unit of analysis. The population consists of respondents from the general public aged 18 and above, as they are valid buyers of toys. Data collection was conducted using a non-probability sampling method. The questionnaire was sent to the targeted respondents using online Google Form links. A comprehensive dataset from 384 respondents was gathered for descriptive analysis of the demographic profile. Hypothesis testing was performed using regression analysis. The findings indicate that, except for brand associations, the remaining three factors – perceived quality (Beta = .377, p < .001), brand loyalty (Beta = .338, p < .001), and brand awareness (Beta = .221, p < .01) – exhibit a statistically significant positive correlation with the brand equity of children’s toy brands in Malaysia.

Acknowledgment
The authors thank INTI International University, Malaysia, for providing financial support to publish this paper.

This study aimed to examine the impact of the Theory of Planned Behavior on Malaysian luxury hotel selection. To achieve this objective, the study examined the influence of attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and fake reviews on the choice of luxury hotels in Malaysia. The study also investigates whether intention mediates the relationship between these variables and luxury hotel selection. The research method was quantitative in nature and to collect the necessary data, convenience sampling was used on an online questionnaire, resulting in 400 valid responses. The respondents were residents of Malaysia aged over 18 years old who had stayed at luxury hotels before, as they are qualified to answer the research objectives. For this study, four- and five-star hotels are considered as luxury hotels. The collected data were then analyzed using IBM SPSS version 26, using descriptive, regression, and mediation analysis through Hayes process. The results from the regression analysis revealed the predictive power of each variable, while the mediation analysis demonstrated that intention mediates the relationship between attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control in luxury hotel selection. According to this study, attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and fake reviews influence luxury hotel choices. Intention significantly mediates the association between attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, fake reviews, and luxury hotel choices.

This research examines the key factors influencing Indonesian consumer’ willingness to use AI chatbots, focusing on technological characteristics, hedonic motivations, anthropomorphism, AI performance and user experience, using the extended Artificially Intelligent Device Usage Acceptance (AIDUA) model. This is quantitative research where a survey technique was adopted, and two hundred and eight participants’ responses were obtained. The participants were consumers in Indonesia who had prior experience using AI chatbot. The study reveals that anthropomorphism, technological competence, and consumer hedonic motivation while using a chatbot affects the consumer’s perception about the perceived performance of a chatbot and the user experience. These perceived performance and experiences influence feelings, and then influence the willingness to use the AI chatbot. Mediation analysis indicated that perceived performance mediated the relationship between anthropomorphism and willingness to use AI, while user experience did not. That hedonic motivation affects willingness to adopt AI through the mediations of user experience, emotions, and perceived performance. Further, technological factors influence willingness to use AI mediated by perceived performance, in which case, user experience is not a mediator. The results indicate that the factors influencing the willingness to use AI include technological readiness, anthropomorphism, and hedonic motivation, which are mediated by perceived performance and emotions, whereas user experience does not significantly mediate the relationship.