Purpose The purpose of this study is to apply the theory of planned behavior (TPB) in predicting the intention to participate in family takaful schemes (FTSs) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). One area of concern for takaful operators is their untapped market and lower market share compared to those of their conventional insurance counterparts. It is possible that the investigation of direct and indirect (belief based) measures of TPB could shed some light on these concerns and possibly offer some assistance to takaful operators. Design/methodology/approach Interrelationships among attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral controls (PBCs) and intention to participate in FTSs were examined. The relationships between behavioral beliefs on attitudes, normative beliefs on subjective norm and control beliefs on PBC were also assessed to fully identify the structures underlying factors measuring intentions. The respondents consisted of 175 Muslims in the UAE. Data were collected using an online survey and analyzed using SPSS. Findings This study found that attitudes, subjective norms and PBCs contribute to the prediction of the intention to participate in FTSs. This study used standard multiple regressions to identify an extensive set of specific belief composites this can be used in the prediction of direct measures of TPB and the intention to participate in FTS. Practical implications The findings of this study provide useful information to takaful marketers on how to develop marketing strategies to increase FTS participation. This study suggests that informative and persuasive promotions can be used to improve the penetration rate of FTSs in the UAE. Originality/value This study provides insights into previously unaddressed FTS participation in the UAE. Prior work on determining FTS participation has not been applied to both direct and indirect measures of TPB to understand the phenomenon.

Abstract-Blended learning has emerged as one of the solutions to address the various needs of Higher EducationInstitutions around the world. Blended Learning is the combination of traditional classroom and online endeavour. It provides advantages of both face to face learning and e-learning. The main purpose of this study is to assess the adaptation level of blended learning in teaching process at Higher Education Institutions. This study carried out mixed method approach by using explanatory sequential model. Teachers of general public universities were included as the sample for this study. Questionnaire and interview techniques were used as data gathering tools. The main findings of this study showed that teachers have a positive perception for technology usage in teaching process. Most of the teachers possessed expertise in the use of different software and equipped with internet skills. The study concluded that in blended learning implementation, universities are still at awareness level and a lot of efforts are required for effective implementation of blended learning. It is recommended that the universities' administration should provide an extra computing infrastructure (e.g. servers, bandwidth, and storage capacity) to run the courses in blended format. We recommend that in strategic plan of the universities the blended learning should be well defined and highlighted.

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the influence of investors’ attitudes on their decision-making. Two subjective perception factors, brand familiarity and perceived trust, were proposed to influence investors’ attitudes and decision-making. This paper also suggests the potential mediating effect of attitude on decisions on Islamic stock investment. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected using a primary data collection method. Questionnaires were used and distributed to a sample size of 250 Malaysian investors in the Klang Valley aged between 25 and 50 years old. Data were analysed using SPSS and Structural Equation Modelling–Partial Least Squares. Findings Seven hypotheses were proposed, and six were supported. The findings show that brand familiarity and perceived trust have a significant relationship with attitude. Brand familiarity and attitude have a significant relationship with investment decision behaviour. The relationship between perceived trust and attitude also reveals significant findings. However, perceived trust was found to have an insignificant relationship with investment decision behaviour. Mediation analysis shows that attitude mediates the relationship between brand familiarity and investment decision behaviour. Attitudes are also found to mediate the relationship between perceived trust and investment decision behaviour. Practical implications It is recommended that publicly listed companies emphasize and devote extra efforts to enhancing investors' familiarity with and favour their brand. In addition, to build an investor’s trust, a company must be consistent in dividend payments. Such action may improve the probability of the company’s stock being chosen for investment. Originality/value Subjective perceptions of investors' decision-making in Islamic stock investment have yet to be thoroughly explored in the literature, especially in the Malaysian context. In this paper, the indirect relationship between brand familiarity and perceived trust in attitude is tested. This paper contributes to consumer behaviour and marketing of Islamic stock investment research area.

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The Takaful (Islamic Insurance) industry is still in infancy in the UAE. Almost eighty percent of the insurance industry is conventional, and the remaining is Takaful. A firm’s reputation is one of its most important intangibles resources, and it is a major source of competitive advantage and to improve financial performance. Many of the customers choosing their service provider consider reputation criteria among other factors. It is worth determining the antecedents and consequences of corporate reputation in the Takaful industry so that marketers can improve the reputation of their service providers and their industry by using various strategies to increase the loyalty and word of mouth among Takaful customers. The sample size is 325, and data was gathered from Takaful customers who have car Takaful policies. Scale and items for each construct were initially gathered from existing literature and then refined with the help of academic and industry experts. The measurement instrument used was analysed for reliability, convergent, and discriminant validity by means of confirmatory factor analysis. The research hypotheses were tested by using structural equation modelling. Corporate social responsibility (CSR), customer satisfaction, trust, and social media engagement proved to be most important antecedents of Takaful service providers. The findings suggest that Takaful marketers should consider in investing in effective reputation strategies to gain loyalty and perceived customer value. The study provides valuable insights into the antecedents and consequences of corporate reputation in the Takaful industry. Since this study focuses only on Takaful industry and was cross-sectional, further studies need to be done. This study found that corporate reputation is influenced by national culture, and it suggests effective strategies to improve the reputation of Takaful service providers compare to their counterparts in conventional insurance.