Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop and test a comprehensive hierarchical model of behavioural intentions in the Malaysian retail banking industry. Design/methodology/approach The data were analysed using EFA, CFA and structural modelling. Findings The findings illustrate that customer satisfaction is the most important determinant of behavioural intentions, followed by switching costs, corporate image and perceived value. Service quality is indirectly related to behavioural intentions and customer satisfaction mediates the relationship between the two constructs. Customer satisfaction is strongly influenced by service quality, corporate image and perceived value. Service quality is also an antecedent of perceived value, corporate image and switching costs. The empirical results also support a hierarchical and multidimensional approach for conceptualising and measuring customers’ perceptions of service quality. Research limitations/implications The comprehensive hierarchical model developed in this research can be used as framework for additional studies on the banking industry. Practical implications The findings provide Malaysian bank managers with empirically-based insights into behavioural intentions and offer guidelines for assessing and improving service quality. Originality/value This is the first study that uses comprehensive hierarchical modelling to synthesise the effects of service quality, customer satisfaction, perceived value, corporate image and switching costs on the behavioural intentions of retail bank customers.

This study explores factors affecting debt level among young adults in Malaysia. Previous studies have linked material values, money management skills, and economic factors to credit card debt and student debt, but this study extends the previous research by investigating various forms of consumers' debt in an emerging market where vulnerable youths are frequently bombarded with materialistic media messages that trigger their spending behaviour. In particular, variables such as pursuits of materialistic attitudes, money management attributes, and income level are examined in this study to see whether they are predictors of youth debt in Malaysia. A self-administered survey on 629 respondents centered around northern part of Malaysia was conducted based on convenience and judgmental sampling techniques.The findings suggest that money management skills and income level significantly influence the debt level of Malaysian young adults. Interestingly, materialism variable is insignificant, implying that young Malaysians represented in this sample do not possess materialistic attitude that lead to indebtness. The findings provide insights to the policy maker and the government to inculcate awareness of basic money management skills to ensure that the younger generation does not fall into the state of excessive debt which could lead to financial insolvency.

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