Restaurant's decision to purchase local foods: Influence of value chain activities

In this paper we investigate how restaurant managements’ attitudes and behaviors influence decisions to purchase local foods as inputs to their products. An enhanced investigation of chefs’ and managers’ decision-making criteria could improve understanding of local food systems linkages with the restaurant industry. We apply a value chain framework to investigate activities that influence restaurants’ decision to purchase local foods. Results indicate that attitudes and behaviors associated with sourcing and product characteristics play an important role in local food purchase decisions in the restaurant value chain. Order processing time and uniqueness of products are the most significant reasons in restaurant managements’ decisions to purchase local foods. The implications of these findings for restaurants and producers are discussed. Our study contributes to the literature by expanding upon the criteria used by restaurants to make local food purchasing decisions.     

Enhancing online brand experiences: An application of congruity theory

Providing a distinctive brand experience is critical to differentiate each hotel brand from others, due to the intangible characteristics of the hotel industry. Rooted in congruity theory, this study investigated how three congruities (i.e., self-image congruity, online–offline brand image congruity, and value congruity) influenced customers’ online brand experiences and their brand trust. Results from this study indicated both self-image congruity and online–offline brand image congruity significantly influenced both customers’ online brand experiences and their trust toward the hotel's brand. Extending brand experience literature and congruity theory, this study suggested hotels should develop a strategy that could capture these three congruity effects in online and offline channels because these effects should be key determinants for customers’ online brand experiences and their responses.     

Customer acceptance of four types of hospitality value propositions

Although how successful hospitality companies create value propositions has received some interest, how and why customers accept value propositions remains largely unknown. Grounded in theory of acceptance and service-dominant logic, this study examined consumers’ psychological mechanism of acceptance of value propositions at different points of exchange, and investigated the impact of value propositions acceptance on customers’ well-being and perceptions of service advantage. Online respondents (N = 180) assessed four hospitality value propositions: innovation, marketing, production, and recovery. Repeated-measures ANOVA and PROCESS Model analyses revealed that customers accepted value propositions cognitively, emotionally, normatively, and behaviorally, positively influencing subjective well-being and perceptions of firm’s service advantage. Service production and recovery value propositions had higher acceptance compared to innovation and marketing. This study is the first to empirically illustrate the complex process of customer value proposition acceptance and the effects on personal and organizational outcomes. Theoretical and practical implications are provided.     

Creating sustainable value in the hospitality industry: a (critical) multi-stakeholder study in the Dominican Republic

This paper identifies sustainable initiatives reported by “sustainability-champion” hotels in the Dominican Republic, while contrasting them against the views of key stakeholders. We adapt and apply Hart and Milstein's Sustainable Value Framework, and complement it with a Critical Management Studies approach. Our analysis relies on a mixed-methods approach (non-hierarchical k-means cluster analysis, as well as thematic and content analysis). Findings indicate that most hotels are engaging more actively in present-oriented strategies such as pollution prevention (especially, the international hotels) and in product/service stewardship. However, in the future-oriented strategies, hotels owned by local investors show higher commitment to both clean technology and innovation, and to the sustainability vision (as the firm's growth path). In addition, although the views of multiple stakeholders show a clear acknowledgment of the hospitality industry's sustainability efforts (particularly regarding education and environmental protection), they also offer differing views about the ultimate impact and value of those efforts for them and for the broader society. Our study offers a new theoretical lens to explore multi-stakeholder approaches and offers practical implications for the Dominican Republic's National Strategy for Development 2010–2030, as well as implications that may be of use for other tourism-dependent countries.     

Value co-creation in sustainable tourism: A service-dominant logic approach

To mainstream sustainability, we need to understand the value gained from sustainability by users. We apply a user-centred design methodology to develop an agile, iterative, incremental and reflexive process to understand the sustainability value proposition for Lufthansa City Center travel agents. We analyse the failure of sustainability communications within the online platforms used by these agents and explore why the agents factor out sustainability information during the customer sales process. We identify how agents and customers understand sustainability, and we explore opportunities to co-create sustainability value. Furthermore, we prototype, and then test, methods of empowering travel agents to communicate sustainability to their customers as a value-adding proposition.     

中国国内价值链是怎样形成的？

本文基于区域间投入产出模型进行区域增加值分解,通过构建国内价值链广度、国内价值链深度、国内价值链匹配度等指标,实证研究发现20世纪90年代中期以来中国重化工部门的国内价值链广度高于轻工部门,但同时呈现出下降的趋势。各部门的国内价值链深度逐年提升,其中,内资主导及市场导向型外资推动的国内价值链深度相对更高,而成本导向型外资为主的国内价值链深度较低。各部门的国内价值链匹配度渐趋合理,但仍存在很大程度的资源配置扭曲。     

构建全球化时代爱国主义价值体系的思考

全球化时代,爱国主义的价值没有弱化反而凸显,因此,构建一个顺应这个时代要求、具有时代特色的爱国主义价值体系,意义重大.全球化时代构建的爱国主义价值体系,应该以全球作为价值视野、以理性作为价值特征、以宽容作为价值要求、还要以人本性作为它的价值基础.     

Open economy and financial burden of corruption: theory and application to Asia

We discuss why corruption remains high and show that corruption contributes to the Banking distress and to the rapid transmission across international stock and currency markets. Undeveloped ‘derivative securities’ markets make the risk from stress-induced volatility difficult to manage. Vinod’s (1999) closed economy model is extended to indicate the asymmetry of ‘home bias’ and the effect of corruption on the value at risk (VaR). Our theory predicts that capital flight controls will be many, foreign direct investment (FDI) will be low and cost of capital will be high in corrupt developing countries, which is supported by Asian data. We include some policy recommendations regarding financial institutions and markets.     

供应链环境下的企业物流成本管理初探

当今社会,企业面临的竞争环境越来越激烈。改善物流管理、有效降低物流成本是企业应对挑战的一条可行之路。文中从供应链的角度,对物流成本管理进行了探讨,为企业合理优化物流流程和物流成本管理提供了一种有益的参考。     

Coffee value chains on the move: Evidence in Ethiopia

Important changes have happened to the upstream segment of the coffee sector in Ethiopia - Africa’s biggest - in the last decade, as illustrated by the increasing adoption of improved production, harvest, and post-harvest practices. Upstream marketing has also improved and there have been large investments in processing capacity, shown by the extended coverage of wet mills. These improved practices are shown to be associated with positive impacts on coffee productivity and prices. Changes appear to be linked with multiple factors including local market reform, greater presence of public extension agents, high international prices, and a push for certification by international buyers. On the other hand, a combination of production (lack of improved seedlings, weather and disease shocks) as well as institutional issues (saving constraints and lack of vertical integration and traceability) have seemingly impeded more widespread uptake of improved practices and therefore better farm performance. The study illustrates the significant complexity in obtaining transformation at the farm level in these settings.