Employees' English language proficiency and visitors' perception of services received at Beijing Art Zone 798

This study concerns the perception of proficiency in English as a foreign language among employees in the Beijing 798 art zone plus visitors’ perception of services received and staff professionalism. The aim of the study is to establish the extent of the mismatch between the perceptions of both gallery employees and foreign visitors and of the role this plays in the overall visitor experience. Data collection comprised of a bespoke questionnaire with additional open ended questions. All questionnaires were distributed to both employees and visitors in August 2013. Based on the responses received from 100 respondents, the results showed significant misinterpretation that resulted from ineffective communication. Most visitors experienced a number of issues and faced difficulties in obtaining appropriate feedback from gallery staff. These communication problems, (relating to language barriers, either in English among local staff, or in Mandarin among overseas visitors), have lead to misunderstandings and ultimately to lower appraisals of the art works exhibited. The study offers suggestion for improvement, e.g. through the more efficient teaching of English for specific purposes, i.e. tourism, volunteering as mandatory industry training for foreign language students from nearby colleges or universities, and the extension of general information boards and signs within the art district itself. The study is limited in the number of participants (n=100) and should, therefore be repeated for higher objectivity with more participants (n>1000)

A German artist and his ties with the Romanian royal family - reflections on August Becker (1821-1887) and his role in 19th century European landscape painting

This article relates to new findings concerning the life, work, and influence of the 19th century German landscape painter, August Becker (Darmstadt 1821-1887 Düsseldorf). Subsequent to the completion of a doctoral thesis concerning the oeuvre of August Becker and its publication, in 2005, some important and meaningful new discoveries have been made relating to his work. The principal focus of this article is to introduce the artist and his close ties with the royal family of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen to international experts and to critically evaluate the new findings relating to Becker and his role as one of the most well known landscape painters for the 19th century European aristocracy

Corporate art collection practise in Malaysia: business managers and their rationales beyond the CSR idea

The Malaysian concept of collecting Corporate Art remains underdeveloped, with only a few businesses supporting such engagement. Considerable research has been conducted to understand the management rationale for either engagement in collecting or avoiding art, although no such study is available relating to Malaysia. This research investigated the relationship between managers’ demographic backgrounds and the practise of collecting Corporate Art in Malaysia. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and community engagement are the drivers behind organisational art acquisition. Art can also enhance other stakeholders’ benefits. This study used the Stakeholder Theory as theoretical framework, and the analyses used mainly t-Test and ANOVA. Major findings were that demographics influence the rationale behind Corporate Art Collection practice, and a positive correlation was found between the CSR rationale and other rationales such as Decoration or Cultural Experience. A model for the highest potential for art engagement in Malaysia was then derived: Managers who are Muslim, specializing in HRM, working in the Finance sector and are over 37 years old. The findings can create an awareness of Corporate Art Collection practise beyond the mainstream business of viewing it as an investment or solely as a CSR tool. The paper brings valuable knowledge to Malaysian managers and communication professionals with respect to the impact of brand and image extension strategies through artistic and cultural products

Using Apps to improve service delivery in Malaysian hotels: guests' and employees' rationales

The paper considers a looming crisis for the important Malaysian tourism sector, namely, the lack of communication skills of hotel staff. There are a growing number of overseas visitors coming to this popular destination, yet hotel staff, polite as they may be, are increasingly unable to communicate effectively with them. Whilst this is acknowledged as being a worldwide phenomenon that ultimately leads to customer dissatisfaction, the authors believe it is exacerbated in Malaysia by governmental education policies that may seem biased in favour of Bahasa Malaysia as the medium of instruction. In addition to other internal and external factors that currently put pressure on the hotel industry, Malaysia, unlike many other countries, permits foreigners to work in the hotel industry, and many of them arrive with a poor command of English. Hence the main objectives of the study are to improve understanding of both the communication problems within the hotel industry as well as the sentiment associated with using a technology based solution. The authors linked their aims to research questions which were formulated for both hotel staff and overseas visitors, and evidence was subsequently derived from the analysis of the responses received. As a solution to the communication problem, it is proposed that hotels should provide staff with hotel centred training in both English for Specific Purposes (ESP) as well as other key languages that are spoken by overseas visitors who are non-English speakers. In addition, a technological solution, in the form of an appropriate ‘App’, is proposed. Such an App could be used in a variety of ways to significantly improve communication, and ultimately, guest satisfaction

Using apps to improve service delivery in Malaysian hotels: rational of guests and employees

The paper considers a looming crisis for the important Malaysian tourism sector , namely, the lack of communication skills of hotel staff. There are a growing number of overseas visitors coming to this popular destination, yet hotel staff, polite as they may be, are increasingly unable to communicate effectively with them. Whilst this is acknowledged as being a worldwide phenomenon that ultimately leads to customer dissatisfaction, the authors believe it is exacerbated in Malaysia by governmental education policies that may seem biased in favour of Bahasa Malaysia as the medium of instruction. In addition to other internal and external factors that currently put pressure on the hotel industry, Malaysia, unlike many other countries, permits foreigners to work in the hotel industry, and many of them arrive with a poor command of English. Hence the main objectives of the study are to improve understanding of both the communication problems within the hotel industry as well as the sentiment associated with using a technology based solution. The authors linked their aims to research questions which were formulated for both hotel staff and overseas visitors, and evidence was subsequently derived from the analysis of the responses received. As a solution to the communication problem, it is proposed that hotels should provide staff with hotel centred training in both English for Specific Purposes (ESP) as well as other key languages that are spoken by overseas visitors who are non-English speakers. In addition, a technological solution , in the form of an appropriate 'App', is proposed. Such an App could be used in a variety of ways to significantly improve communication, and ultimately, guest satisfaction

Bachelor’s degree in German studies and then? the professional development of the 2008 BA German graduates from Universiti Putra Malaysia

Objective: An ongoing tracer study project –January 2014 to October 2015 –aims to provide more comprehensive data on the professional development of BA German graduates from UPM. Methodology/Technique: The group of 2008 graduates has been chosen to provide initial data via in-depth interviews, questionnaires and social media groups, which allowed the conclusion that studying BA German at UPM combined with a business-related minor subject is a proven formula for a successful and quick entry into the Malaysianjob market. Findings: Many have changed their career paths in order to gain higher incomes, face greater challenges and enjoy better career opportunities. Some graduates became language teachers (Mandarin, English, Bahasa Malaysia and German) at primary and residential schools, colleges and universities. Furthermore, several opted for Master’s degrees. Novelty: The comprehensive study on the „Future Direction of the Language Education in Malaysia“(2010) concluded that graduates of language majors from Malaysian universities do not have any problem in securing employment either in the public or the private sector. A survey related to the professional development of former Bachelor of Arts in Foreign Languages (German)-students confirmed that the majority of graduates from University Putra Malaysia found employment in the corporate or education sector shortly after finishing their studies

Horse portraiture and blazing saddles - research report on the artist Emil Volkers (1831-1905)

Emil Volkers was a popular 19th century German horse portraitist. After Dresden Art Academy, he developed a unique style, and aristocrats provided commissions. He became "court painter" to Prince Charles of Romania, and was commissioned by William I to paint him on horseback. His paintings were popular with European rulers, as horses were important to their lifestyle. Volkers also painted rural and historical scenes. It is surprising that he is not generally acknowledged in art history literature, which contrasts with the number of his paintings sold today, and the number in private collections compared with the few held publicly. Lack of official recognition may be due to the few surviving documents plus the number of unknown collectors, which makes it difficult to produce an academic monograph. This paper aims to introduce Volkers to the international research community under the aforementioned aspects

The importance of foreign language skills in the tourism sector: a study of employees’ perceptions in hotels in Malaysia

Promoting tourism is a crucial part of the national economic policy in Malaysia and thus there is an inherent need to attract and cater for more than 25 million overseas visitors. Malaysia is a multi-ethnic and multi-linguistic country. Malaysia has a good reputation among overseas visitors for being safe, for an abundance of, and a great diversity of, cultural and touristic sites. Among the four actively spoken languages in Malaysia: Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese, Tamil and English, English is the established “lingua franca” of international communication, trade, business and media. English has an important role to play in the delivery of quality service in the hospitality industry. Hotels are the largest sector in the hospitality industry. However, an examination of the literature of hotels in Malaysia, especially in regard to the front-of-house services offered within them, reveals a lack of conclusions as to the perceptions of employees on the use and need of foreign languages. The front-of-house services are of particular interest as they have the most guest contact (Wagen, 2003). There is very little data concerning how various hotel staffs perform in guest communication. This study looks at communication in hotels, using quantitative and qualitative data to discover what perceptions hotel employees hold, as seen as a group, and what hotel division managers, as seen as a group, hold on the importance of various languages. English is the most important language for guest communication. But in our project, we will look beyond English. We analyze the role of other foreign languages as well. English is, of course, considered the second language of Malaysia after the national language, Bahasa Malaysia. Questionnaire surveys are being, and will be, used to collect data from more than 200 front-of-house staff and at least 50 division managers. Additional data will be gathered from semi-structured interviews of more than 20 managers and from more than 20 informal interviews with front-of-house staff. Fisher’s exact test will be employed to measure the gaps between the perceived needs and performance, staff versus management, and department versus department. The data will be subjected to a constant comparative method of analysis. This research project is ongoing