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Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to reflect on the data collected from Malaysian students to investigate the effects of students' entrepreneurial characteristics (need for achievement, locus of control, propensity to take risk, self-confidence, tolerance of ambiguity and uncertainty, and leadership) on their propensity to become entrepreneurs in Malaysia. Design/methodology/approach: As a quantitative study, various analyses, such as exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling, were conducted to analyze the data collected from 257 students known to have participated in entrepreneurship course and programmes. Findings: The results show that leadership skill, need for achievement, tolerance of ambiguity, and risk-taking propensity are positively and significantly associated with students' intention to initiate entrepreneurial activities in Malaysia. Originality/value: The researchers have used data from the perspective of Malaysian students to increase the readers' understanding on students' entrepreneurial characteristics that could enhance their likelihood to become entrepreneurs in Malaysia.

The concept of interest and profit is as old as the history of commercial transactions because, in Jahiliyyah (ignorant) period, people transact business based on interest and sometimes for profit. These concepts are also not alien to conventional financial practice, except that many people cannot distinguish between interest-based and profit-based transactions. As much as shariah encouraged commercial transactions of common and fair benefit through exchanging commodities and money, it equally emphasised the need for fair play and justice for entire market stakeholders. This study aims to explore and explicates literature on the differences between conventional bank interest rates and the Islamic bank profit rate in financing. The study will describe the contractual pictures of both methodologies to analyse the convergent and divergent features between interest-based loans and profit-based financing. This study uses the Islamic legal maxim theory of "In contracts, the effect is given to intention and meaning and not words and forms" (Al-'ibratu fil uqūdi lil maqāsidi wal ma'ānī lā lil alfāzi wal mabānī) as a fundamental principle in determining shariah compliant profit based in commercial transactions. This study arrived at findings on the distinctive divergent between the interest rate and profit rates in financing. The study identifies issues those convergent trigger concerns among researchers and critiques in contemporary applications can be resolved based on contractual intent and meaning rather than words and forms. This study came up with recommendations for improving the operational status of Islamic financial transactions in the profit rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to ascertain whether halal certification mark, halal brand quality and halal awareness influence Nigerian consumers when making buying decisions. Design/methodology/approach: The researchers reflect on the newly collected data to shed light on the above issues from the perspective of Nigerian consumers. To this end, a questionnaire was developed and used to collect data from 282 respondents. The data collected were analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings: This study found that halal certification mark and halal brand quality are the most influential factors that contributed to the consumers' buying decisions in Nigeria. Originality/value: Based on the findings of this study, the researchers have argued that more efforts are needed in the area of halal awareness in Nigeria. Similarly, the study argues that halal brand quality should always be held at the esteemed position. Based on the study's findings, the authors have been able to fill the literature gap, particularly in the context of the Nigerian halal industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]