Halal certification remains a critical benchmark in affirming product credibility for Muslim consumers.

Traditional manual auditing procedures, however, often prove inefficient and time-consuming. The integration

The halal market, grounded in Islamic principles, necessitates rigorous certification to ensure the integrity of

products and services (Mohd Sulaiman et al., 2018). The conventional halal auditing workflow, largely reliant

on manual procedures, is fraught with inefficiencies (Fadzil, 2022). While other sectors have capitalized on

digital advancements, halal certification processes have been slow to adapt. However, emerging technologies

offer potential to overhaul this process, especially through mobile-based solutions such as QuikHalal (Nowlan,

2013). This study aims to explore the motivational factors behind the adoption of such applications by halal

auditors, guided by the UTAUT framework.

The halal certification process serves as a fundamental mechanism to ensure that products and services comply

with Islamic law, particularly concerning dietary, hygiene, and ethical standards. This certification not only

safeguards religious requirements but also functions as a quality assurance system, boosting consumer trust

and business legitimacy in both Muslim-majority and global markets (Ab Talib et al., 2017).

Malaysia plays a pivotal role in the global halal ecosystem, having developed a comprehensive regulatory

framework for halal certification under the supervision of the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia

(JAKIM). Since its formalization in 1974, JAKIM’s procedures have become internationally recognized,

providing a benchmark for halal compliance and enforcement. These procedures are grounded in the Manual

Procedure for Malaysia Halal Certification (MPPHM) and include document evaluations, physical inspections,

and compliance monitoring (Kamaruddin et al., 2012; JAKIM, 2020).

involving manual data entry, physical documentation, and fragmented evidence collection. This has led to

increasing interest in the application of digital tools to modernize and streamline the process. One such

innovation is QuikHalal, a mobile auditing application developed to digitize halal audits. It enables auditors to

create checklists tailored to business types, capture photographic evidence, tag GPS locations, and generate

audit reports automatically—all of which significantly reduce administrative burden, errors, and audit cycle

times (Irfan & Iskandar, 2017; Ahmad et al., 2019; Holistics Lab, 2017).

Technology integration in halal auditing not only improves efficiency and transparency but also supports

Malaysia’s broader digital transformation agenda under Industry 4.0, which emphasizes automation, real-time

data, and mobile solutions in compliance systems. However, the adoption of these technologies remains

uneven, particularly among auditors and businesses that lack digital proficiency or face infrastructural

Motivational Model (MM), 4.Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), 5. Combined TAM and TPB (C-TAM-TPB),

6. Model of PC Utilization (MPCU), 7. Diffusion of Innovations Theory (DOI), and 8.Social Cognitive Theory

(SCT).

By integrating these diverse perspectives, UTAUT provides a consolidated framework for understanding users’

intentions to adopt technology, highlighting four key factors that directly affect both intention and usage

behavior:

them attain gains in job performance.

using technology (AT), and technology-related anxiety (ANXI), especially when investigating contexts

involving voluntary or user-driven adoption (Šumak & Šorgo, 2016; Hoque & Sorwar, 2017).

Empirical validations of UTAUT have consistently shown its superiority in predicting user intentions

compared to earlier models. For instance, it has been successfully applied in domains such as e-learning, e-

government services, mobile banking, and audit software adoption, including among professionals like

auditors, educators, and healthcare providers (Thottoli & Thomas, 2022; Foon & Fah, 2011; Wijaya et al.,

2022). These adaptations underscore the model’s robustness and flexibility in capturing the multifaceted

dynamics that drive user engagement with new technologies. Accordingly, this study adopts UTAUT as the

foundational theoretical model to examine factors influencing the adoption of mobile auditing applications in

the halal certification process.

Seven hypotheses were developed to explore the influence of key variables on users’ (halal auditors) intention

to use halal auditing mobile technology, drawing on work by Venkatesh et al. (2003) and Taylor & Todd

(1995).

These constructs form the basis of the following hypotheses:

This framework enables a structured analysis of how technical, social, and psychological factors contribute to

technology adoption in the halal certification context.

A quantitative research design using a structured questionnaire was employed to assess the user intention of

halal auditors toward the adoption of mobile auditing applications. The target population comprised auditors

A convenience sampling method was used due to the accessibility and availability of respondents within the

halal auditing ecosystem. While this non-probability approach may limit generalizability, it allowed the

researchers to obtain a substantial and relevant sample within practical constraints. A total of 552 valid

responses were collected and analyzed, providing an adequate sample size for statistical testing and model

validation.

Each construct in Section B was measured using multiple items adapted from established UTAUT literature

(Venkatesh et al., 2003; Šumak & Šorgo, 2016), rated on a five-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (strongly

disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). This scale was chosen for its simplicity and effectiveness in capturing degrees

of agreement.

To ensure the reliability and internal consistency of the constructs, Cronbach’s Alpha was computed for each

variable (Cronbach, 1951; George & Mallery, 2003). Most constructs demonstrated strong internal

consistency, with alpha values exceeding the commonly accepted threshold of 0.70. However, the anxiety

(ANXI) construct returned a lower reliability score of α = 0.669, indicating moderate reliability. While slightly

below the ideal threshold, this value was deemed acceptable for exploratory research purposes.

A pilot test was conducted prior to full data collection with 20 auditors to assess the clarity, wording, and

This section presents a detailed analysis of factors influencing the user intention to adopt mobile auditing

applications among halal auditors in Malaysia. Using the UTAUT framework, Spearman’s rank correlation

coefficient was employed to evaluate the strength and direction of relationships among key variables.

1.000

0.738**

Attitude Toward Technology (AT) demonstrate the strongest correlations with UI (r = 0.652 and r = 0.648,

respectively), indicating their critical role as primary predictors of mobile app adoption. Performance

Expectancy (PE), Effort Expectancy (EE), Facilitating Conditions (FC), and Self-Efficacy (SE) also show

moderate to strong positive associations, confirming their relevance within the UTAUT framework. These

findings are consistent with prior research that identifies these constructs as key drivers of behavioral intention.

In contrast, Anxiety (ANXI) shows a weak and statistically insignificant relationship with UI (r = 0.043),

suggesting limited influence in this context. To further support the correlation results, scatter plots were used

to visualize the strength and direction of relationships between each independent variable and UI.

1. Figure 3a: UI vs SE – demonstrating self-efficacy’s relationship with UI indicating that confidence in

one's ability leads to higher adoption intentions.

2. Figure 3b: UI vs AT – indicating a positive attitude toward technology increases the likelihood of UI

and strongly support mobile technology integration.

3. Figure 3c: UI vs ANXI – The relationship appears weak, supporting the statistical finding.