Article: Influencer's role, performance risk, and perception of generic medicine Journal: Middle East Journal of Management (MEJM) 2025 Vol.12 No.6 pp.642 - 667 Abstract: Healthcare costs rising relentlessly becoming a fundamental deterrent to healthcare services access making generic medication an alternative to branded medication. Comparatively, generic medication acceptance is low owing to concerns of bioequivalent and therapeutic equivalent range to the branded medicines. Therefore, this study examined the relationship between perceived performance risk and perception of generic medication. Employing a quantitative approach, data from 399 respondents were analysed with PLS-SEM. The results demonstrated a negative significant relationship between perceived performance risk and perception of generic medication and the mediating effect of the influencer's role was found in this relationship. The theoretical model presented in this study to bridge the critical knowledge gap of generic medicine perception phenomenon is neither formulated nor tested empirically in previous studies, locally or perhaps globally, therefore stands out as an original incremental contribution in generic medicines perception and as a new direction towards influencer's role in the literature. Inderscience Publishers - linking academia, business and industry through research

Title: Influencer's role, performance risk, and perception of generic medicine

Authors: Shathees Baskaran; Yoeng Gok Hau; Nomahaza Mahadi; Kesavan Nallaluthan; Logaiswari Indiran

Addresses: Azman Hashim International Business School, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Jalan Iman, 81310 Skudai, Johor, Malaysia ' Azman Hashim International Business School, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Jalan Iman, 81310 Skudai, Johor, Malaysia ' Azman Hashim International Business School, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Jalan Iman, 81310 Skudai, Johor, Malaysia ' Faculty of Management and Economics, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris, 35900 Tanjong Malim, Perak, Malaysia ' Faculty of Management, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Jalan Iman, 81310 Skudai, Johor, Malaysia

Abstract: Healthcare costs rising relentlessly becoming a fundamental deterrent to healthcare services access making generic medication an alternative to branded medication. Comparatively, generic medication acceptance is low owing to concerns of bioequivalent and therapeutic equivalent range to the branded medicines. Therefore, this study examined the relationship between perceived performance risk and perception of generic medication. Employing a quantitative approach, data from 399 respondents were analysed with PLS-SEM. The results demonstrated a negative significant relationship between perceived performance risk and perception of generic medication and the mediating effect of the influencer's role was found in this relationship. The theoretical model presented in this study to bridge the critical knowledge gap of generic medicine perception phenomenon is neither formulated nor tested empirically in previous studies, locally or perhaps globally, therefore stands out as an original incremental contribution in generic medicines perception and as a new direction towards influencer's role in the literature.

Keywords: generic medicine; consumer perception; performance risk; influencer's role.

DOI: 10.1504/MEJM.2025.149833

Middle East Journal of Management, 2025 Vol.12 No.6, pp.642 - 667

Received: 04 Feb 2024
Accepted: 25 Sep 2024
Published online: 14 Nov 2025 *

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Title: Influencer's role, performance risk, and perception of generic medicine

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