Service quality in restaurant operations in China: Decision- and experiential-oriented perspectives

Using the decision- and experiential-oriented perspectives as theoretical guides, this article reported an empirical assessment of service quality in restaurant operations. We proposed and tested a conceptual model of service quality using structural equation modeling. Using data from a sample of 284 customers from two large full-service restaurants in southern China, we investigated the relationships of service quality, customer satisfaction, and frequency of patronage. The results supported the significant links between service quality and customer satisfaction, service quality and repeat patronage, but not customer satisfaction and repeat patronage. The study has provided important insights into service quality and customer satisfaction in the field of restaurant operations.     

Planning considerations for cultural tourism: a case study of four European cities

Utilising the information gathered in four European cities, this paper discusses and tests a framework of reference for visitor-friendliness, a complex concept that encapsulates the main dimensions of the urban tourism product such as its quality, accessibility and image projection. This concept is particularly relevant to assess whether investments in culture and hospitality genuinely respond to the impulses coming from the market. The case studies highlight how specific soft elements of the urban tourism product are the ones that matter most in determining the attractiveness of a city for international visitors, and yet they are often overlooked by city planners. The paper also identifies a number of “best practice” in tourism management.     

Operating a manufacturing plant in Indonesia

Running foreign plants is becoming more common for U.S. companies, but many executives still have reservations about dealing with developing countries and diverse cultures. This case study shows that with proper planning and a genuine sense of commitment, the result can be mutually rewarding for the U.S. company and for the overseas operation.     

Utility decrements associated with side effects in schizophrenia

Objective:

Most of the existing studies investigating the impact of schizophrenia on utility have focused on the different stages of the disease. The objective of this study was to describe and quantify the impact of treatment-related side-effects on utility in patients with schizophrenia, using data from an observational study.

Methods:

This study used data from the European Schizophrenia Cohort (EuroSC), a multi-center 2-year cohort study conducted in France, England, and Germany. The EQ-5D questionnaire was completed every 6 months, as well as the Subjective Side Effect Rating Scale, assessing patient distress over extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS), weight gain, sedation, and sexual dysfunction, used to assess whether or not the patient experienced the side-effect. At first a bivariate analysis was conducted to describe utility values with and without side-effects. Then, a random effects regression analysis was performed on utility, where random effects were controlled for repeated measures on the same subjects, with potential confounding factors. Finally, findings were compared with those of previous publications.

Results:

This sample consisted of 1208 patients with schizophrenia. At the baseline visit, the most reported side-effect was EPS (almost 60% of patients), followed by sedation and weight gain (～50% of patients for each), and sexual dysfunction (almost 30% of patients). Significant association with severity of symptoms, functioning abilities, and utility were found. Patients reporting none of the studied side-effects had an average EQ-5D index score of 0.81, found to be higher than scores of patients reporting EPS (0.70), sexual dysfunction (0.67), sedation (0.70), or weight gain (0.72). The random effects model reported a utility decrement of 0.042 for EPS, 0.022 for weight gain, 0.022 for sexual dysfunction, and 0.019 for sedation. Although the external validation was difficult due to the different methods or definitions of the side-effects, as well as the paucity of data for weight gain, sedation and sexual dysfunction, the results were generally consistent with previous studies.

Conclusion:

This study aimed at quantifying the direct impact of main side-effects associated with antipsychotics on patients’ utility. Results suggested a significant direct impact of side-effects, with EPS being the most impactful.     

Roundaboutness is Not a Mysterious Concept: A Financial Application to Capital Theory

We apply the EVA terminology to the concepts of roundaboutness and average period of production in capital theory. By doing this we show that these terms have a clear and well understood financial interpretation. A financial application to capital theory helps to clarify obscure and controversial economic terms.     

Hiring on the basis of expected productivity in a South African clothing firm

Using information from the personnel files of a South Africanclothing firm, I explore the in- and outflow of weekly-paidworkers. These employees form a separate labour market withinthe company. Data was available concerning both the productivityof current workers, and the characteristics of rejected applicantsand fired workers. This makes it possible to identify the characteristicswhich are screened out at entry and the characteristics thatinfluence productivity. This allows for an empirical analysisof discrimination at job-entry. Hiring decisions were foundto be consistent with expected productivity. The observed screeningout of African workers at job entry could be explained by statisticaldiscrimination, i.e., the actual productivity of African workersin this firm was found to be significantly lower than the productivityof workers of other ethnic backgrounds. The effect of educationon productivity was found to be very small.     

Broadcast Advertising and U.S. Demand for Alcoholic Beverages

Quarterly data for 1977-1994 on alcohol consumption and advertising are used to estimate a differential demand system, including explanatory variables for broadcast advertising and print advertising. The model explains the growth rate of per capita consumption dependent on explanatory variables for prices, real income, demographic changes, and real advertising by media and beverage. Empirical results also are reported for total consumption of pure alcohol. The results for the three beverages and total alcohol indicate that advertising has little or no effect on demand. The empirical evidence thus supports the notion that regardless of media, advertising affects mainly brand shares.