We would like to take this opportunity to express our deepest gratitude to those who guided us and gave us the support we needed to complete our research project. We are pleased to dedicate this research project to our promoter, Dr. Lim Yet Mee.
RESEARCH OVERVIEW
- Introduction
- Background of Study
- Problem Statement
- Research Objectives
- Specific Objectives
- Research Questions
- Specific Question
- Hypotheses of the Study
RQ1: What is the relationship between personal word-of-mouth and hotel brand image. RQ2: What is the relationship between commercial eWord-of-mouth and hotel brand image.
Significance of the Study
One of the main contributions that this research can make is the in-depth analysis of the hotel's online marketing efforts. That being said, this research highlights interesting marketing methods that are focused on the Internet and determine its importance to the customer's perception of the hotel.
Chapter Layout
- Chapter 1 - Research Overview
- Chapter 2 - Literature Review
- Chapter 4 - Data Analysis
- Chapter 5 - Discussion, Conclusion and Implications
This chapter describes the approach to portray how the research is conducted in terms of research design, methods of data collection, sampling design, operational meanings of developer, measurement scales and data analysis methods. The result associated with the research questions and hypotheses will be tested according to the interpreted results.
Conclusion
The data collected from the respondents would then be analyzed in this chapter using qualitative analysis methods. This chapter will form managerial implications based on the result outcome, discuss the limitations of the whole research, provide a recommendation for future studies and draw a conclusion of the whole research.
LITERATURE REVIEW
Introduction
Review of the Literature
- Personal eWord-of-Mouth
- Commercial eWord-of-Mouth
- Liking towards Website
- Perceived Informativeness of Online Advertisements
- Hotel Brand Image
- Behavioural Intention
Review of Relevant Theoretical Models
Proposed Theoretical/Conceptual Framework
Hypothesis Development
- The Relationship between Personal eWord-of-Mouth and Hotel Brand
- The Relationship between Liking towards Website and Hotel Brand
- The Relationship between Hotel Brand Image and Behavioural
METHODOLOGY
Introduction
In this chapter researchers had identified and explained the procedures and channels adopted to collect relevant information for this research topic. In this research study, survey technique was used to collect useful information through questionnaire which was distributed to foreigners in KL Sentral.
Research Design
In other words, quantitative research is research that consists of numerical data that can be converted into statistical reading (Slevitch, 2011). In this research study, the adopted quantitative research method involved the distribution of survey questionnaires to foreigners in Kuala Lumper Sentral, also known as KL Sentral.
Data Collection Methods
- Primary Data
- Secondary Data
With these points in mind, qualitative research is used to gather evidence and seek answers to questions. The rationale for the research location of KL Sentral was based on its high pedestrian traffic is a public area. In contrast, secondary data is much easier to obtain the information required for research than primary data.
Therefore, any journal or article that is related to the keywords can be selected as a reference in this study.
Sampling Design
- Target Population
- Sampling Frame and Sampling Location
- Sampling Elements
- Sampling Technique
- Sampling Size
The keywords for this research study are online factors, influences, hotel brand image and behavioral intention towards budget hotels, 3-star hotels and luxury hotels. The data reported from this research study was collected from a prospective sample of foreigners checking in, staying in or checking out at any hotel in the Klang Valley. The sampling element for this research study was the restrictions on foreigners or tourists currently checking in, staying or checking out of any hotel in the Klang Valley.
Thus, the researchers can collect valuable information and knowledge from the respondents for the purpose of this research study.
Research Instrument
Reference is also made to quota sampling, the technique by which the researchers determine the number of people to include as respondents. In conducting this research, we distributed 450 questionnaires to the respondents who are foreigners or tourists checking in, staying or checking out at budget hotels, three-star hotels and luxury hotels. Section B then moves on to questions related to the dependent variable and independent variables of this study.
Furthermore, a pilot test was conducted on a minor group of target respondents at Tune Hotel, Kuala Lumpur to identify the problems in the questionnaire before distributing it to the respondents.
Construct Measurement
I will consider this hotel as the first on the list when looking for accommodation.
Data Processing
- Data Checking
- Data Editing
- Data Coding
- Data Transcribing
- Uncommon Data Specifying
Date transcription refers to the process of transferring all the information gathered from the questionnaire into a computer system. After all the data were transferred to the computer, the researchers performed data analysis using the seventeenth version of the SPSS computer program. All unreliable, ambiguous and errors can be identified directly after analyzing all collected data using SPSS software.
Data Analysis
- Descriptive Analysis
- Scale Measurement
- Inferential Analysis
Under this model, r is used to measure the relationship between dependent variable and one independent variable while R is used to measure the relationship between dependent variable and multiple independent variables. The value of R is between 0 and 1, where 0 represents no relationships, while 1 equals a positive relationship between dependent variable and independent variables. On the other hand, 𝑅2 is used to measure the variation of the dependent variable caused by the independent variables.
Simple regression analysis is used to measure the linear relationship between the dependent variable and an independent variable.
DATA ANALYSIS
Introduction
Descriptive Analysis
- Respondent Demographic Profile
- Central Tendencies Measurement of Constructs
The hotel category was asked during part A of the questionnaire, along with the name of the hotel the respondent is currently staying at or about to check-in. Hotel status shows the current status the respondent is in, in relation to their stay at the current hotel. Check-in indicates that the respondent has not checked into the hotel or is currently in the process of checking in, stay-in means that the respondent has checked in and is not checking out at any time during that day, and recent check-out refers to respondents who have experienced the hotel and checked out; there were a total of 159, 133 and 162 respondents respectively.
Based on Table 4.7.1 – Table 4.7.4, the average value of personal word of mouth (PEWOM), commercial word of mouth (CEWOM), hotel brand image (HBI), behavioral intention (BI), customer satisfaction (CS) and perceived value (PV) are generally above 4, which represents a slightly compatible six-point rating scale.
Scale Measurement
- Reliability Analysis
This implies that respondents in that hotel category do not agree that budget hotel advertisements are informative. The reliability test of each variable is shown in Table 4.8 with the additional segmentation of hotel categories. According to Saunders, Lewis & Thornhill (2012), the acceptable range for Cronbach's alpha is above 0.6 and any lower value is considered unacceptable.
In addition, it could be observed that the highest Cronbach's alpha is customer satisfaction, rated at 0.941 under all hotel categories and 0.949 for budget, 3-star and luxury hotels respectively.
Inferential Analyses
- Pearson’s Correlation Coefficient Analysis
- One-Way ANOVA
- Multiple Regression Analysis
- Simple Regression Analysis
- Test of Significant
Multiple regression analysis will be conducted to analyze the importance of online influencing factors (personal word-of-mouth advertising, commercial advertising, website favorability and perceived informativeness of online advertisements) and hotel brand image. This would mean that 55.7% of the variance in hotel brand image can be explained by the variance of online influencing factors. Simple regression analysis will be conducted to analyze the significance of hotel brand image with behavioral intention.
This would infer that 48.5% of the variance in behavioral intention could be explained by the variance in hotel brand image.
Conclusion
CONCLUSION
Introduction
Summary of Statistical Analyses
- Descriptive Analysis
- Scale Measurement
- Inferential Analysis
A one-way ANOVA was designed to determine whether there were differences between behavioral intentions, customer satisfaction, and perceived value with hotel categories as a factor. Finally, multiple regression and simple regression were conducted to determine the significance of each of the relationships between online influencing factors and hotel brand image; and hotel brand image with customer behavioral intention. The data showed that online influencers as a whole were important for hotel brand image; likewise for the image of the hotel brand on the behavioral intentions of customers.
The results show that both models had all online influential factors significant for hotel brand image, and hotel brand image was significant for customers' behavioral intention.
Discussion of Major Findings
- The relationship between Personal eWord-of-Mouth and the Hotel
- The relationship between Commercial eWord-of-Mouth and the Hotel
- The relationship between Liking towards Website and the Hotel
- The relationship between perceived informativeness of online
- The relationship between Hotel Brand Image and the Behavioural
- Managerial Implications
- Governmental Implications
Based on Table 5.1, the hypothesis for personal word-of-mouth with the hotel brand image indicated by the multiple regression analysis was accepted. The relationship between Commercial eWord-of-Mouth and the Hotel Brand Image Hotel Brand Image. The hypothesis for commercial eword-of-mouth with the hotel brand image was accepted, indicated by the multiple regression analysis.
The relationship between perceived informativeness of online advertisements and the Hotel Brand Image advertisements and the Hotel Brand Image.
Limitations of the Study
- Overlooking the Country of Origin
- Relatively Low Sample Size
Recommendation for Future Research
Assuming that the sample matrix increases across categories, a sum of 50 respondents per cell would be sufficient for the appropriate amount of sample size required. Moreover, future research can analyze the importance of country of origin which can reveal new insights towards understanding the tourist coming to Malaysia. More marketing activities can be carried out to help foreign tourists from a particular country with suitable means such as online platforms with translated web pages.
Of course, one of the main suggestions for future studies is to identify different variables that could be introduced in addition to the current online influencers.
Conclusion
Advertising Value and Advertising on the Web. 1995), How Consumers Assess the Value of Advertising, Journal of Current Issues and Research in Advertising. Talk about the network: a complex system look at the underlying process of word-of-mouth. Jelonek D., Stepniak C., 2014, Evaluating the usefulness of abstract thinking as a manager's competence, brand image in social media – an outline of the research-related issues, "Polish Journal of Management Studies", 9.
Norman (2001), »An Examination of the Determinants of Entertainment Vacationers’ Intentions to Revisit,« Journal of Travel Research, 40 (avgust), 41-48.
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