A fuzzy multi-criteria decision model for international tourist hotels location selection

The main purpose of this paper is to present a fuzzy multi-criteria decision making (FMCDM) model for international tourist hotel location selection. In this article we created 21 criteria for selecting the international tourist hotel location acquired from literatures review and practical investigations. And the methods of fuzzy set theory, linguistic value, hierarchical structure analysis, and fuzzy analytic hierarchy process are used to consolidate decision-makers’ assessments about criteria weightings. Finally, an empirical study for identifying the international tourist hotel location selection in Taiwan is conducted to demonstrate the computational process and effectiveness of FMCDM proposed by this paper.     

Determinants of reverse marketing knowledge transfer potential from emerging market subsidiaries to multinational enterprises’ headquarters

Emerging markets (EM) are becoming increasingly important for multinational enterprises because of their high growth potential and future prospects. The unique circumstances in EM lead to increased pressure to offer creative marketing solutions that can be leveraged across the multinational network. Setting up subsidiaries to tap into these markets offers companies the opportunity to integrate in the local community and access its knowledge-base for local and global innovations. Literature, however, reveals that EM subsidiaries have been largely ignored concerning their potential for reverse knowledge transfer (RKT), and marketing initiatives are expected to be developed in mature, developed markets. Our paper fills this gap in research and contributes to extant literature by identifying factors at unit, relationship and knowledge levels influencing RKT potential specific to marketing knowledge from EM subsidiaries. The conceptual discussion leads to study propositions and conceptual framework.     

All consuming surveillance: surveillance as marketplace icon

With consumers and their activities routinely visible through online, mobile and social media, to both their peers and to corporations, this article examines surveillance as a marketplace icon. Surveillance is central to the construction of consumers and markets. Many contemporary marketing practices are surveillant as they rely on the collection, analysis and application of consumer data to place advertising, define market segments and to nudge consumer behaviours. Consumer surveillance is also an enactment of corporate power, attempting to align individual preferences with corporate goals. The historical origins of surveillance and the emergence of the surveillance–industrial–entertainment complex are explored, which highlights how surveillance, as well as a process for defining markets is also an object of consumption. The future sees a huge struggle for consumer data between two great centres of surveillance power – the state and the corporation – as they battle over data use for national security.     

Public system usability analysis for the valuation of cognitive burden and interface standardization: A case study of cross-ATM design

Humans are unable to effectively handle machines that have poor interface and interaction patterns. The Automated Teller Machine (ATM) is one of the machines that is most frequently operated by a wide spectrum of people. Hence, it is common to apply Human–Computer Interaction (HCI) technology in the design of ATMs. User–ATM interaction, however, has barriers such as a user’s working memory limit, lower literacy level, or lack of awareness and access. Moreover, the diversity of interfaces hurt user motivation, perception, and experience significantly. For example, each bank has its own ATM design targeting its customers only and, thus, when clients of other banks come across such a machine, they suffer from cognitive burden and commit many errors. To this end, we conduct an analytical survey of ATMs used in Pakistan through user analysis and heuristics analysis. We figure out the influence of design diversity and user perception on ATM users’ cognitive stress with the cognitive walkthrough analysis on the survey. We also uncover a realism-usability gap by reviewing the sampled ATM screens from the viewpoint of HCI heuristics. Finally, we suggest the guidelines on the cross-ATM design, characterized by the standardized fast-cash menu and the fail-safe mechanism for novices. This study demonstrates that users are reluctant to switch out of their comfort zones, due to learning costs and a lack of motivation. Therefore, we should design public systems in a very standardized way, which becomes more crucial for a user’s cognitive relief as interface and design patterns are becoming more diverse in our daily lives.     

E-Shopping Patterns of Chinese and US Millennials

A conceptually based taxonomy of 22 distinct forms of e-shopping vehicles is proposed. A modification of the UTAUT and UTAUT2 models is introduced to explain how vehicles are interrelated in regard to consumer reliance upon them for their e-purchasing. A survey of over 1,000 millennial university students, 697 Chinese and 306 US, revealed strong support in both samples for the hypothesized six dimensional pattern underlying consumer vehicular reliance. Further, differences between Chinese and US samples lay not in the nature of the dimensions, but rather in the strength of reliance upon each dimension. Thus, the study demonstrates the utility of the concept/measure of shopper vehicular reliance, VPR (Vehicle Purchasing Reliance) for both practitioners and scientists. In cross-national comparisons, observed differences between samples in strength of reliance supported four of five hypotheses predicated on previously established national distinctions a) in trust and b) in the cultural value of individualism-collectivism.     

中西部欠发达城市土地利用结构地域差异研究——以河池市为例

以河池市2014年土地利用变更数据为基础,运用计量地理模型与GIS软件等方法,分析其土地利用结构的地域差异情况。河池市各县市均具有较大区位意义的土地利用类型,其土地利用多样性与信息熵较高,但土地利用集中度都处于低水平,市内县市具有多种不同最优土地利用类型组合。河池市未有效利用优越的地理优势发展其特色优势产业,这将成为河池市今后土地利用规划研究的重中之重。     

Prioritizing destination attributes for optimal resource allocation: a study of Chinese tourists visiting Britain

ABSTRACT

This study assesses the importance, performance, and the interrelationships of key destination attributes for marketing managers to prioritize resource allocation. A three-dimensional analysis of importance–performance–impact-analysis (IPIA) factors, based upon a survey sample of 275 Chinese tourists to Britain and an expert panel interview with 10 destination marketing managers is presented. Data analysis was based upon a mix of multi-criteria decision-making methodologies, the Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) method and the Analytic Network Process (ANP) method. The framework can be applied to prioritize resources allocation to improve customer satisfaction in other contexts, such as a sector or a specific business.     

Reciprocity between soccer events and visited destination in a border context

ABSTRACT

The study proposes a conceptual model based on hypothesized relationships among team fanship, satisfaction with the event, and host city as antecedents of behavioral intentions in the United States–Mexico border context. The analysis used data from 290 visitors who attended three soccer games of the Xoloitzcuintles team of Tijuana. The results revealed (1) the emotions felt at the visited destination had significant influences on fanship, satisfaction with event venue, and intentional behavior; (2) fanship and event satisfaction do not seem to influence the visitors’ intentions to return and recommend the visited place; (3) gender and duration of the stay showed a significant moderating function.     

Dress for success: the effect of exhibitors’ dress conformity and self-construal on attendees’ approach behavior

ABSTRACT

The purpose of the current study is to investigate how attendees’ approach behavior is influenced by exhibitors’ dress conformity. A 2 × 2 between-subjects quasi-experimental design was utilized for this study. Our results showed that conforming dress for exhibitors can lead to a higher level of approach behavior of trade show attendees as compared with nonconforming dress, and the effect of exhibitors’ dress styles on approach behavior is moderated by attendees’ self-construal. Findings of this study provide significant insights for trade show exhibitors and attendees.     

Tourists’ hotel event experience and satisfaction: an integrative approach

ABSTRACT

Tourists’ hotel event experiences have received little attention in tourism research. By proposing an integrated model of expectation–confirmation theory (ECT) and the experience economy concept, this research explores the relationship between tourists’ event experience and their satisfaction regarding the hotel event setting. The hypothesized model was empirically validated using a sample of 663 tourists who experienced a holiday event at a resort hotel. Results confirmed that the integration of the experience economy and ECT provided a better understanding of tourists’ post-satisfaction in a pleasure-driven setting. This affective–cognitive approach advances the knowledge of tourists’ experiences and satisfaction at hotel events.