Correlational study of Malaysian hoteliers’ self-ratings of guest interaction skills and occupational self-efficacy before and after gamification experiences

• Main Authors: Abdulla, Nasiha, Abdul Latif @ Bapoo, Lilisuriani
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Tourism Educators Association of Malaysia 2022
• Subjects: PE English
• Online Access: http://irep.iium.edu.my/101486/7/101486_Correlational%20study%20of%20Malaysian%20hoteliers%E2%80%99%20self-ratings.pdf; http://irep.iium.edu.my/101486/; https://teamjournalht.files.wordpress.com/2022/11/a-correlational-study-of-malaysian-hoteliers-self-ratings-of-guest-interaction-skills-and-occupational-self-efficacy-before-and-after-gamification-experiences.pdf
• Institution: Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Malaysia

While low English proficiency has been reported as a problem among Malaysian hoteliers, perceptions of guest interaction ability and occupational self-efficacy and the relationship between the two have yet to be investigated. This study investigated Malaysian hoteliers’ perception of their guest interaction skills and occupational self-efficacy and the relationship between the two before and after gamification experiences. A survey was administered to 173 hoteliers from a hotel in Selangor, Malaysia. From a descriptive analysis, all respondents had below moderate to moderate perceptions of their guest interaction skills and occupational self-efficacy. Twelve of the total respondents were then randomly selected to attend ESP classes with gamification as part of a one-group pretest-posttest quasi-experimental research. Analyses of the sample’s ratings of guest interaction skills and occupational self-efficacy after gamification showed positive correlations with a significant difference in how they perceive their guest interaction skills and occupational self-efficacy. The hoteliers were also found to self-rate their occupational self-efficacy higher than their guest interaction skills. The findings of this study convey to both ESP instructors and hotel managers that gamification should be used in classrooms and in-house training as it positively influences how hoteliers perceive their abilities to perform their jobs and interact with their guests.