The Effects of Marketing Communications on Malaysia's Consumer Based Brand Equity and Intention to Visit Among Potential Tourists from Gulf Countries: The Case of Jeddah and Dubai

It has been long recognized that marketing communications (MC) are important activities that influencing potential tourist's attitude and behavior toward tourism destinations. However, factors such as tourism service intangibility, globalization, increasing advertising expenditure, fierce competition as well as upcoming tourism destinations competing for the same market put much more emphasize on the need for better MC practice and effectiveness. With this in mind, this study argues in favor of assessing the communication effects rather than sales-based effects of MC (as often used by destination marketers). More specifically, this study focuses on the long-term communication effects of MC activities by looking at MCs influence on the perceived destination Consumer Based Brand Equity (CBBE) dimensions (awareness, perceived quality and image) and the influence of these dimensions on the Intention to Visit (ItV) Malaysia among the Gulf Countries (GC) potential tourists. Data was collected using purposive sampling method in two major cities in the gulf area namely Dubai and Jeddah. A self administrated questionnaire was designed especially for the purpose of this study. 405 usable responses were collected and analyzed using a variety of statistical techniques from SPSS version 18. The findings indicated that both controlled and uncontrolled MCs have a significant effect on the three CBBE dimensions (awareness, perceived image and quality), however, uncontrolled MC is found to have a greater influence compare to controlled MC on these dimensions. Additionally, the perceived CBBE dimensions are found to predict ItV. Nevertheless, perceived destination image is found to have the greater influence on the potential tourist's ItV. The findings also revealed that potential tourists from GC did not hold either an extreme positive or negative destination image attributes about Malaysia. Based on the study findings, it is recommended that destination marketers therefore focus on more narrow set of destination image attributes in order to avoid having confused image from the potential consumer point of view. It is also recommended that destination marketers use multiple sources of information to target tourists. In particular, the uncontrolled MC namely WOM seems to be the highest incidence of information source. Theoretically, the study contributes to the body knowledge by providing empirical evidence to support theories and previous literature related to measuring MCs effectiveness and tourism destination brand equity as well as the relationship between destination Brand equity dimensions and the ItV. Further, this study filled the gap in the literature by providing a theoretical framework assessing the effectiveness of MCs especially in the long term. Methodologically, the study contributes by providing a measurement scale for CBBE dimensions of tourism destination attributes based on previous literature and used in this study. Furthermore, factor analysis had identified new attributes with regards to perceived destination image and quality. However, the study's sampling limitations should admittedly be considered in weighing the significance of all these contributions

Determining behaviour intentions from the overall destination image and risk perception

Purpose – This study aims to examine the impact of perceived risks and the overall destination image on tourists\u27 behavioural intentions. Design/Methodology/Approach – A questionnaire was prepared drawing from the scales in literature, and it was applied in a form of a self-administered questionnaire on European tourists who visited Jordan in 2018. Multiple regression analyses were applied to test the hypotheses on a data set of 339 completed questionnaires. Findings – The findings identified that two dimensions of perceived risks (financial risk and performance risk) had significant impact on the overall destination image and on tourists\u27 behavioural intentions, however, physical, time, and socio-psychological perceived risks were neither important to the tourists\u27 revisit intention nor to the overall image. Research limitation/implications – The findings solely reflect the perceived risks, the overall image, and behavioural intentions of the European tourists who visited Jordan. The focus should be placed on reducing implemented taxes on the touristic services and products in order to make Jordan more price competitive. The research originality – This study establishes an empirical relation between risk dimensions, overall image, and tourists\u27 behavioural intentions; therefore, the findings have implications on tourism industry, especially for the key players in the Jordanian tourism board. It also serves as a reference to destinations with similar risk background

Malaysia’s Perceived Image as a Tourism Destination for Gulf Countries Potential Tourists

As tourism is a fickle industry, it is very important for a destination to have a strong and positive destination image from the consumer perspective, particularly the potential consumers who have no past experience with the destination. The challenge of providing high-quality tourist experiences as well as promoting tourism destination effectively becomes less difficult when managers know what their prospects think of their specific destination. Thus, this paper looks at the perceived image of Malaysia as a tourism destination from the perspective of two out of six Gulf Countries. Factors were adapted from previous literature about Malaysia image as a tourism destination and from previous studies about similar countries. Data collection was conducted from 19 February till 26 March 2010 on Saudi Arabian and Emirati potential tourists using mall intercept survey method. A total of 995 respondents were approached in both cities of Dubai in United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Jeddah in kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) within the data collection period. Out of this number, 491 agreed to participate. However, 405 were usable. Hence, the effective response rate was 41%. Data analysis showed that research respondents picture Malaysia as suitable for multipurpose destination and family vacations, a destination that has variety of beautiful leisure and environmental attractions such as beaches, relaxing places, natural and theme parks, Islamic country with the majority of Muslims residents and where the Halal food and Mosques are available everywhere, a destination where the tourists information and services are easily available, and a destination with pleasant and restful atmosphere. However, Malaysia still need to invest more in the marketing communication (MC) activities to improve the perception of the potential tourists about its ability to make tourists safe while visiting, provide food culture attractions, give tourists value for their money and allow tourists to communicate easily with the friendly local people. Keywords: Malaysia, Destination Marketing, Gulf Country Potential Tourist

Examining the Dimensions of Organizational Climate on Employee’s creativity in Jordanian Hotels

The objective of this study is to develop and test a conceptual framework which linked the creativity of employees with four organizational climatic factors: the structure, obligation, rewards, and support, as well as the connection between creativity of employees and performance of employees. 432 employees in 18 luxury hotels in Jordan obtained data. The quantitative study is focused on an empirical exploratory factor, a basic linear regression analysis and the validity of the CFA factor solution. Results and recommendations in the study showed that the relationship between employee creativity and employee success affects the creativity of workers through different organizational factors. This study aims to strengthen the organizational environment and results for hotels in the area of hospitality in order to enhance their organizational climate

Managing destination image for potential gulf countries tourists via communication effects assessment: The case of Malaysia

This study responds to the call for more empirical evidence and theoretical framework for tourism destination consumer based brand equity (CBBE), and for more effort to link marketing communication (MC) as information sources on destination awareness and image across different fields. Using Malaysia as the context, this study focused on potential tourists from two Gulf countries (GC) i.e. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).405 responses were collected via self administered questionnaire on purposively selected samples in Dubai and Jeddah.The findings indicate that uncontrolled MCs have significant effect on the awareness and image dimensions of CBBE, while controlled MC has significant effect only on destination image. Several implications of the findings were later discussed.The managerial implications are that destination marketers targeting potential GC tourists need to satisfy existing GC tourists to Malaysia to create positive WOM.They also need to focus on integrating both Controlled and Uncontrolled MCs strategies to reduce confusing image of the destination

Bodacious-instance coverage mechanism for wireless sensor network

Copyright © 2020 Shahzad Ashraf et al. Due to unavoidable environmental factors, wireless sensor networks are facing numerous tribulations regarding network coverage. These arose due to the uncouth deployment of the sensor nodes in the wireless coverage area that ultimately degrades the performance and confines the coverage range. In order to enhance the network coverage range, an instance (node) redeployment-based Bodacious-instance Coverage Mechanism (BiCM) is proposed. The proposed mechanism creates new instance positions in the coverage area. It operates in two stages; in the first stage, it locates the intended instance position through the Dissimilitude Enhancement Scheme (DES) and moves the instance to a new position, while the second stage is called the depuration, when the moving distance between the initial and intended instance positions is sagaciously reduced. Further, the variations of various parameters of BiCM such as loudness, pulse emission rate, maximum frequency, grid points, and sensing radius have been explored, and the optimized parameters are identified. The performance metric has been meticulously analyzed through simulation results and is compared with the state-of-the-art Fruit Fly Optimization Algorithm (FOA) and, one step above, the tuned BiCM algorithm in terms of mean coverage rate, computation time, and standard deviation. The coverage range curve for various numbers of iterations and sensor nodes is also presented for the tuned Bodacious-instance Coverage Mechanism (tuned BiCM), BiCM, and FOA. The performance metrics generated by the simulation have vouched for the effectiveness of tuned BiCM as it achieved more coverage range than BiCM and FOA

The entrepreneurial shift in education: The critical success factors of mobile learning in higher education institutions

The objective of this investigation is to analyze the correlation among students' readiness for mobile learning, regulation of emotions, nomophobia, cyberloafing via smartphones, and addiction to smartphones while attending classes amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Current research introduces a theoretical framework that outlines the factors influencing cyberloafing within the m-learning setting. The study involved a total of 719 participants. The structural equation modelling technique was utilized to evaluate a study's framework. The study's results suggest a significant association between the factors of m-learning readiness, emotion regulation, nomophobia, smartphone cyberloafing, and smartphone addiction among learners. The current study also introduces a conceptual framework for this entrepreneurial shift that outlines the factors influencing cyberloafing within the m-learning setting. The discourse pertains to the ramifications for both students and institutions of higher learning