Hotel efficiency: A bootstrapped metafrontier approach

This paper introduces the metafrontier concept to account for the environmental and technological differences between various hotels groups. The interesting feature of the model is that it ensures that heterogeneous hotels are compared based on one homogenous technology. We test the model using a panel data sample of 78 Taiwanese hotels. The results clearly indicate that the size, ownership, and classification of a particular hotel have a significant impact on its efficiency. More implications of the results are provided.     

The effects of customers’ perceptions of brand personality in casual theme restaurants

Although existing studies recommend that restaurant chains develop and communicate salient brand personalities, no research to date provides empirical evidence that perceptions of unique brand personality by consumers lead to positive outcomes in the restaurant business. Therefore, using a sample of 336 adults, this research models the causal relationships between brand personality perceptions, brand preference, attitudinal loyalty, and positive word-of-mouth (W-O-M) behavior for the Olive Garden and Chili's restaurant chains. It was found that for both chains, brand personality perceptions have a positive effect on brand preference and attitudinal loyalty, brand preference has a positive impact on attitudinal loyalty, and attitudinal loyalty has a positive influence on positive word-of-mouth (W-O-M) communication. In addition, for the Olive Garden and Chili's brands, it was also found that there is a direct link between brand preference and word-of-mouth behavior.     

Alternatives for Increasing Media Choice in Concentrated Markets

The nature of market concentration in the mass media industries and its implications for diversity of consumer choice are examined. Criteria for evaluating policy alternatives that might increase consumer choice are developed. The policy alternatives evaluated using these criteria are: breaking up large media corporations; growth of cable television; government assistance in financing alternative media; an excise tax on media “excess profits” for alternative media; regulating to ensure greater content diversity; de-regulation; de-regulation with community control; and, increasing diversity through media labor union contracts.     

Correlation of acid gas-ethanolamine equilibrium using ionic concentrations

Experimental equilibrium measurements are modeled using a Davies-like ionic strength correction term for the reaction equilibrium constants. Calculated and experimental results are in much better agreement when the ionic strength correction terms are used.