The development of an evaluation scale for B2B service quality: The case of the Korean convention industry

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to develop scale dimensions for evaluating professional convention organizers (PCOs) from the perspective of conference hosts. Based on a literature review of B2B service quality and convention service quality, and in-depth interviews with host organizers in the Korean convention industry, five quality dimensions were identified: potential, process, personal, technical, and outcome qualities. The reliability and validity of the five dimensions were verified using empirical data. The results show that service quality between PCOs and hosts should be considered to be a holistic experience rather than a set of separate factors as discussed in previous studies. This paper also contributes by proposing that the five scales serve as a managerial tool for PCOs to evaluate their own performance and as criteria for hosts to develop effective business relationships with service providers.     

Reflections on the Business History Tradition: Where has it Come from and Where is it Going to?

The question of what constitutes the discipline of business history has been the focus of ongoing debate for several decades. The output of business history researchers is diverse ranging from company histories to the application of theoretical frameworks used to interpret the many facets of business development. This article, in introducing this special edition of the Australian Economic History Review, provides an overview of the development of the business history discipline and the contribution it has made to understanding the operation of business enterprises and the markets in which they operate.     

体系转型背景下的威胁认知与澳大利亚对华政策变化

2000年以来,中澳关系在一个比较长的时期中保持了良好发展态势。但自2016—2018年,中澳关系出现较大幅度恶化,这主要是澳大利亚主动采取消极行为的结果。在中国不构成对澳大利亚的安全威胁、双方的经济合作为澳大利亚带来很大经济利益、中方具有推动中澳关系发展意愿的情况下,澳大利亚在2016年和2017年的对华态度却发生了转折性变化,这令人困惑。作者认为,澳大利亚对华态度转变的主要原因不是美国对澳大利亚施加的战略压力,而是澳大利亚在不确定性增强的国际体系中高度重视国际秩序的稳定,并把中国视为可能冲击现有国际秩序稳定性的主要国家。随着2018年美国特朗普政府采取了一系列冲击国际秩序特别是国际经贸秩序稳定性的做法,澳大利亚在一定程度上改变了对冲击国际秩序的主要国家的认识,其对华政策也相应做出调整。这使得中澳关系出现新的发展契机。这一分析有助于更好地认知一些安全、经济环境较好的中等强国的国际行为,为中澳关系的改善提供一种思考路径。