Profiling Japanese Tourists Visiting Night Markets in Taiwan

Abstract

Night markets have become the most popular tourism attraction for international tourists in Taiwan since 2003. They offer tourists a chance to experience new things and visit different environments when visiting the island. Japan has long been the leading generator of international tourism for Taiwan in terms of numbers and expenditures. Thus, the objective of this research is to profile Japanese tourists based on their novelty-seeking motives in visiting night markets. The 320 Japanese tourists are segmented into three groups: conservative tourists, moderate novelty-seekers and well-planned explorers. Based on the results, implications and recommendations are provided to the tourism authorities, and future research possibilities are also noted.     

Drivers of Taiwan’s Tourism Market Cycle

This paper examines the business cycle of tourism market (BCTM) in Taiwan. It begins by studying the BCTM based on a Markov regime-switching (MRS) model. The MRS model reveals strong evidence of a regime-switching BCTM with two distinct regimes: a high-growth regime (HGR) and a low-growth regime (LGR), over the period from 1st quarter of 1969 to 1st quarter of 2011. The second step is to examine the driving forces of the BCTM. Specifically, the study identifies the factors that cause the tourism market to stay in the high-growth regime (HGR). Test results show that the growth rate of gross domestic product (GDP), growth rate of exports, and inflation rate are significant drivers of the BCTM in Taiwan.     

ECFA框架下海峡两岸产业内贸易发展研究

近十年台湾和大陆之间的贸易规模和水平的持续飞速提高为产业内贸易的形成提供了基础,产业内贸易越来越成为其贸易利益的主要来源。文章通过对2000～2009年大陆与台湾产业内贸易总体水平、按技术含量高低分类的产品产业内贸易水平、边际产业内贸易水平以及水平型和垂直型产业内贸易进行量化分析,结果显示海峡两岸产业内贸易总体水平比较高,并且水平型产业内贸易占总产业内贸易的份额有所上升,表明大陆与台湾在国际分工的地位上以及技术水平上的差距正在逐步缩小。文章最后提出了在ECFA框架下发展海峡两岸产业内贸易的对策建议。     

台湾产业升级过程中人力资源的开发

在台湾产业发展和产业升级过程中,产业人力资源结构发生很大的变动,出现结构性的人力资源紧缺与流失。为此,台湾当局大力发展职业技术教育、促进海外人力资源回流、加强产业人力资源培养、推动产业创新等一系列推动产业人力资源发展的对策措施,具有一定的参考借鉴意义。     

Facebook as international eMarketing strategy of Taiwan hotels

Taiwan hotels need to focus on international eMarketing because these cater to international travelers, especially with leisure travelers expected to increase in the coming years. Facebook offers a wide range of opportunities for the international eMarketing of hotels. Investigation of the current use of Facebook, as an international eMarketing tool, by six large hotels in Taiwan showed presence in Facebook and use of basic features. However, the use of different Facebook features varied. While the hotels were able to connect with international leisure travelers via Facebook for the communication of marketing messages, the reach is limited to Chinese-speaking users using Chinese as the primary language, even for hotel pages accessible through English accounts. Language use also limited interaction in spreading the message virally to the wider international leisure travelers. Employing options to accommodate English and even other languages by selecting from available language support options can enhance international eMarketing via Facebook of hotels.     

The Taiwanese love motel - An escape from leisure constraints?

The paper reports research derived from over 800 respondents who self-completed questionnaires while patronising love motels in the Taipei greater metropolitan region, Taiwan. The paper provides a brief history of Taiwanese love motels and distinguishes them from western massage parlours. Five clusters are found that are based on two primary canonical discriminate functions that explain 83 percent of the variance - the dimensions being sexual conventionality-adventurousness and comfort seeking. These dimensions are wholly consistent with the basic premise of the love motels, although additionally privacy for intimate relationships is also important. The survey questionnaire was based on a concept of physical and relationship constraints on leisure, and generally it was found that the ‘push’ factors based on a need to escape these constraints was weaker than the ‘pull’ factors of comfort and privacy.     

大陆与台湾水泥产品检验标准的比对研究

本文通过水泥的物理、化学性能及其他品质指标,比较分析了大陆与台湾水泥的产品标准与检验方法,得出了大陆水泥产品标准总体上严于台湾的结论。同时提出了散装水泥检验监管的具体模式和开展两岸检验技术交流的建议,既可用于两岸水泥贸易实践中,也可作为其他商品的检验监管之参考。     

Customer service-focused HRM systems and firm performance: evidence from the service industry in Taiwan

Abstract

This study adopts a resource-based view, attraction–selection–attrition theory and a focused approach to examine the link between service-focused human resource management (HRM) systems and firm performance. Internally, we examine employee competency as the ‘black box’ between service-focused HRM systems and firm performance. Externally, we examine the effect of the interplay of a service-focused strategy and service-focused HRM systems in predicting firm performance. We collect data from different sources (i.e. executives, human resource members, and line managers). Using a final sample included 2120 respondents from 175 firms in the service industry in Taiwan, the results show that customer service-focused employee competency transmitted 53% of the effect of customer service-focused HRM systems on firm performance. In addition, when a firm implements a less service-focused business strategy, service-focused HRM systems leads to significant improvement in firm performance. Implications for research are discussed.     

Modeling International Travel Arrangements for Taiwanese Travelers: Potential Fits

Abstract

This paper presents a choice model of international travel arrangements for potential Taiwanese FIT (Foreign Independent Travel) travelers. Previous studies were based mostly on package vacations, with little attention given to FIT travelers. Recent years have indicated a transition toward FIT. Since this transition is likely to continue, it is important for travel and tourism organizations and for marketers to understand FIT individuals. This study distinguishes potential FIT travelers from non-FIT travelers, identifies variables useful in making this prediction, and provides recommendations to travel and tourism organizations of host countries. The findings indicate that Taiwanese FIT travelers are likely to be younger, male, highly educated, budget conscious, travel with a larger party size for purposes of meeting interesting and friendly local people, stay for longer periods of time, and have taken many trips in the last three years that in volved spending at least four nights away from home.     

大陆高职院校毕业生赴台湾高校专升本探析

通过对2013年大陆高职院校毕业生赴台专升本实施情况的研究，分析大陆高职院校毕业生赴台专升本不理想的原因，如赴台专升本项目对报考生源资格的限制条件较为严格、赴台专升本项目的公布时间偏晚、台湾院校招生科系介绍及收费标准公布偏迟、在台湾高校学习的经济成本远大于大陆高校、台湾高校学历相比海外高校并不占优势、赴台专升本的学习成效存在不确定性等，提出要进一步放宽对赴台专升本项目的限制、完善赴台专升本项目信息内容并及时全面地向社会公开、通过各种形式减轻学生赴台专升本的经济压力、在教师和学生层面提升对台湾高校实力的认可度、利用台资企业对台湾高校学历的认可度为赴台专升本学生打开就业的大门等对策。