Aldrin Abdullah

Examining the Influence of International Tourists’ Destination Image and Satisfaction on Their Behavioral Intention in Penang, Malaysia

ABSTRACT This study contributes to tourism and marketing literature by examining the relationships among tourist destination image, satisfaction, and behavioral intention through structural equation modeling. Data were obtained from a survey of 420 foreign tourists visiting Penang, Malaysia, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The findings supported the revisiting behavioral intention model, which indicated that overall satisfaction of a tourist is reflected on the image of the tourist destination. A significant relationship was observed between overall satisfaction and loyalty. Furthermore, destination satisfaction indirectly affected tourist loyalty through overall satisfaction. The tourist destination image increases the perceived satisfaction and fosters the behavioral intentions of tourists. The study developed and empirically tested a conceptual model how overall image and overall satisfaction affect the willingness of tourists to revisit and to recommend a specific destination to other potential visitors. The theoretical and practical implications of this study are discussed in the conclusion.

Broken Windows and Collective Efficacy

The broken windows thesis posits that signs of disorder increase crime and fear, both directly and indirectly. Although considerable theoretical evidence exists to support the idea that disorder is positively related to fear of crime, the empirical literature on examining the indirect effect of the individual’s perception of incivilities on fear of crime is limited, especially in developing countries. This research was conducted to assess the indirect relationship between perceived disorder and fear of crime through collective efficacy. A total of 235 households from Penang, Malaysia, participated in this study. Results reveal that high perception of disorder is negatively associated with collective efficacy. High collective efficacy is associated with low fear of crime. Moreover, a significant and indirect effect of disorder on fear of crime exists through collective efficacy. The results provide empirical support for the broken windows theory in the Malaysian context and suggest that both environmental conditions and interactions of residents play a role in the perceived fear of crime.

Territorial features, disorder and fear of crime in residential neighbourhoods in Malaysia: testing for multigroup invariance

This research examined the relationships between territoriality, disorder, crime, perceived risk and fear of crime and determined whether these relationships are constant between neighbourhoods. Questionnaire surveys and on-site observations were conducted on a sample of 320 residents from two neighbourhoods in Malaysia. Tests for invariance were conducted to determine whether coefficients differed across neighbourhoods. Confirmatory factor analytic models of the constructs exhibited adequate fit following multiple criteria within each and across samples. Results from these analyses suggested that the relationships between disorder and perceived risk, victimisation, and fear of crime were significant in both samples. Although high territoriality was associated with low-crime experiences in the low-crime area, no significant relationship was observed in the high-crime area. The findings illustrated the importance of examining territoriality and perceptions of disorder within the neighbourhood contexts.

Trends in the air temperature of transitional spaces of a high-rise office building: The effects of season and location

Recent increases in the awareness of sustainable green design have resulted in the creation of transitional spaces in high-rise buildings. Incorporating green design in high-rise buildings has been associated with the reduction of energy consumption in buildings and the provision of open spaces for occupants. Achieving thermal comfort in the outdoor environment is crucial, particularly in tropical climate settings where it is highly affected by microclimatic conditions such as the air temperature, wind, humidity and solar radiation. This paper examines the air temperature at three different transitional spaces of a high-rise office building in Penang, Malaysia. The field measurements were conducted in both dry and wet seasons, and the trend in the air temperature was assessed during these two seasons. Air temperature was measured using a temperature sensor and recorded with a data logger, BABUC-A. The findings indicated that there are significant differences among the three transitional spaces in both seasons. It was found that the different locations and the different seasons had substantial effects on the pattern of air temperature over time. Thus, designing transitional spaces specifically requires an understanding of the local microclimate of the area to achieve thermal comfort.

Assessing the effect of neighbourhood structure on residents’ perceptions of safety in gated communities: a case study of Iran

Purpose The contribution of neighbourhood structure to residents’ perceptions towards built environment is becoming recognised. Although considerable theoretical evidence exists to support the idea that natural surveillance is related to perceptions of safety, the empirical literature on examining the effect of neighbourhood structure and residents’ attitude towards their neighbourhood on perceptions of safety is limited, especially in developing countries. The purpose of this paper is to assess the relationships between natural surveillance, perceived disorder, social cohesion and perception of safety in a gated community. Design/methodology/approach A total of 250 households from Babolsar, Iran, participated in this study. The structural equation modelling technique was employed to examine the research model. Findings The results indicate that natural surveillance is negatively related to disorder and is positively related to social cohesion and perception of safety. The model also shows no significant relationship between social cohesion and perception of safety in the study area. Residents perceived relatively high levels of social cohesion, but their perceptions of safety were moderate. Originality/value Findings emphasise the importance of neighbourhood structure and active roles of local communities in enhancing neighbourly relations and perceptions of safety.

The Cooling Effects of Plants on the Built Environment

The rapid urbanization has resulted in high concentrations of high-rise building in the cities. The increase in high-rise building led to an increase in building’s energy consumption that aggravates the urban heat island (UHI) effects and other environmental issues. The recent trend of “greening” building in urban areas allows an alternative way of reducing energy use in building and contributes to cooling effects. It is crucial in a hot and climate tropic where it is almost impossible to achieve thermal comfort outdoors, especially in hot seasons. Plants can be integrated in building design in several forms such as in a biofacade, a green roof and any landscape space. It is essential to understand the nature of plants and its characteristics in its localized settings to benefit the microclimate in the long run. Common issues of plantings in high-rise buildings are related to maintenance issues that involved cost, non-suitability of plants and under maintenance problem. The use of plants in buildings with proper planning and maintenance allows the future development to restore the loss of greenery in the concrete jungle development today.

Neighbouring behaviour, ethnic relations and informal control: a multigroup analysis

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the validity of community organisation as part of the systemic model. Based on the systemic model of community crime, it is perceived that community networks are negatively correlated with victimisation. The authors consider an alternative interpretation, suggesting that these conceptual relationships can run opposite to the directions shown in the systemic model. The crime rate itself may change residents’ perception of neighbouring behaviour and informal control. Design/methodology/approach – This hypothesis is tested using a multigroup analysis of the community organisation across a sample of victims and non-victims in a Malaysian neighbourhood. Findings – The authors find that property crime affects ethnic relations among the residents, where the non-victims perceived higher levels of ethnic relationships compared with the victims. The results show that configural and metric invariance are fully supported, while scalar and structural invariance were partially supported, suggesting that the items measured may be robust across cultures and that the factor loadings appeared to be equivalent across victims and non-victims. Non-victims perceived significantly higher informal control and closer ethnic relations than victims. Originality/value – The paper provides a new direction of the systemic model, whereby victimisation could affect residents’ size of friendship networks and perception informal control.

Traditional House of Negeri Sembilan: Interior Layout Plan and Relation to Compatibility Islamic Principles and Matrilineal

This article studies the Islamic element in the layout of the interior of a traditional house of Negeri Sembilan and its relationship to the concept of custom mother or matrilineal kinship system. The uniqueness of the design and layout of the interior of a traditional Negeri Sembilan house is often associated with Adat Perpatih. Moreover Islam is one of the cultural elements associated with the unique characteristics of its architecture. Both Islam and matrilineal elements have a harmonious compatibility in particular in shaping the interior layout of the traditional houses. Therefore, the objective of this study was to identify and analyze the relationship compatibility of Islam in the matrilineal elements associated with this item. The unique design has a strong correlation with the five (5) main characters involving the organization of interior space house: privacy, security, social, health, and dignity. Studies such as this should be done in order to provide exposure and understanding to the public, so that the uniqueness of the architecture and functionality of a traditional Negeri Sembilan house can continue to be preserved. This study uses a methodology review, analysis of previous studies, and ethnographic methods. Data collection was acquired through a process of observation, interviewing, and hiring-related photos in several locations of the study. The methodology of this study was to produce a realistic study to confirm the compatibility of Islam in matrilineal element in designing the layout of the interior of a traditional house of Negeri Sembilan.

“Light”: Visible to a Person Can Be Hidden from Others

The meaning of light in Malay culture has been understood not only in the scientific and physical senses but understood more deeply within the culture. This research includes rituals and customs which encompass the philosophy and meanings of light from the Malay interpretation and understandings in terms of culture, spirituality, physical attributes and emotion. The objective of this research is to scrutinise the meaning of light according to the understandings, interpretation and beliefs of the Malays. This includes level of spirituality and practicality. The results of this research are mainly qualitative in nature. These are supported by structured interviews, personal observation and visual data to scrutinise the problems and questions raised in this research. The primary results from the in-depth interviews with the scholars and lighting designer have been analysed and helped to answer the issues. The findings from this research reflect the values and essence of the Malay Muslim community and are manifested in hardcopy, representing a creation of art that symbolises the meaning and spirit of the Malays. It is a cultural identity, social interaction, morality, a symbol and the contents of culture and race. Light and lighting should also not be understood only in the normal sense of being merely a design or practicality purposes, but it needs to be appreciated and expressed through emotions, mind and body, culture belonging, belief and divinity aspects. Through its existence, the appreciation of the humanity and society has been highlighted.

THE MINANGKABAU HOUSE – A VISION OF SUSTAINABLE CULTURE AND ARCHITECTURE

The grandeur of the Minangkabau house in Western Sumatera, Indonesia, can be observed in its multi-tiered curved roof structure with upswept gables to mimic the horn of the buffalo. Associated with the Minangkabau people, the strong cultural infl uence of the people is further refl ected in the internal layout of the house and other demonstrations of architectural elements that are echoing nature. Many claim that this is a result of the infl uence of the matriarch who governs the community along with her matrilineal line. It is a rationale for discussions on sustainable cultural and architectural infl uences. This paper further analyses the family system in relation to this architecture. The research aims to analyse the matrilineal infl uence on the architecture and its sustainable and cultural issues. The methods employed include the ethnography and phenomenology processes supported by firesearch in villages in Western Sumatera. Ultimately, the Minangkabau traditional architecture represents a house that visualises the dwellers’ matrilineal culture.