An-Tien Hsieh

Critical service features in group package tour: An exploratory research

Abstract In many countries, especially in Asia, the group package tour (GPT) is the mainstream mode of outbound travel. Nevertheless, surprisingly little effort has been devoted to improving our understanding of the grounded service features of the GPT. In order to fill this gap and thereby enhance the foundations of group travel theory, this study conducted exploratory research to identify the critical service features of the GPT. Sample data come from the customer lists offered by a large wholesale travel agency. Data were collected from both customers and employees using critical incident technique (CIT). After the data collection, a rigorous categorization exercise was conducted; 25 distinct grounded service features emerged from the data. At the end, the authors also discuss implications for future systematic investigation, model development, and make recommendations for tour operators.

Who is the decision-maker: the parents or the child in group package tours?

Abstract Family decision-making research has frequently examined role relationship between husband and wife across stages and subdecisions. In contrast to previous researches, this study examines how family role relationships, inclusive of parents and children, vary over decision-making stages for the group package tour (GPT). A total of 240 different families (mother or father as respondents) purchasing GPTs were surveyed, among them, 35 families also included children. Results indicated that family has a tendency to make a joint decision in problem recognition and the final decision stages, and wives were found to play a dominant role in the information search stage. This study broadens the theoretical domains used in understanding family decision-making for the GPT. For practitioners, marketing implications are provided and recommendations for future research are also discussed.

Is the tour leader an effective endorser for group package tour brochures

Abstract In many Asian countries and areas, such as Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, and China, etc., group package tour is one of the main modes of outbound travel. Several studies have highlighted the important role played by tour leaders in group package tours; they are considered to be indispensable by the tourists themselves and their presentation can make or break a tour. Previous studies have mainly used celebrities, experts, CEOs, and consumers as endorsers for advertising. However, few empirical studies have examined how the advertising effectiveness would be changed if tour leader is used as endorsers for group package tour brochures. This study adopts an epistemological perspective towards extending the limited research on the impact of tour leaders used in advertising as endorsers. A rigorous experimental design was employed; nine experimental groups were included, in total, 844 student subjects participated in the study. The results showed that tour leaders as endorsers for group package tour brochures had a more positive advertising effectiveness than the traditional brochure design and CEO as an endorser elicited higher purchase intention than tour leader as endorser. Implications for managers and scholars are discussed and suggestions for the direction of future study and practice are also provided.

Job standardization and service quality: A closer look at the application of total quality management to the public sector

Existing research results about the relationship between total quality management and service quality in the public sector are controversial. This study focuses on the core concept of TQM--job standardization--and, using the National Tax Administration of Taipei in Taiwan as a source of data collection, a significantly positive relationship between job standardization and service quality is found. The results also suggest that the service quality construct for the business world is different from that for public sector organizations. Theoretical and managerial implications are discussed.

Does job standardization increase job burnout

This empirical study examines the relationship between job standardization, role stress and job burnout components (i.e. emotional exhaustion, diminished personal accomplishment and depersonalization). Data used here comes from 412 employees of manufacturing and service companies in Taiwan. A path analysis model is developed and tested that posits role conflict and ambiguity as a partial mediator of job standardization resulting in job burnout relationship. Empirical results suggest that increased job standardization diminishes job burnout indirectly, such that the true effect of job standardization may be understood with role stress constructs. However, we show that job standardization and job burnout components have spurious relationships. Results are contrasted with those from previous studies, and implications for managers are discussed.

Newcomer socialization: The role of job standardization

In an extension of knowledge on organizational socialization from a job perspective, the purpose of this study was to examine the effects of job standardization on newcomer socialization. Questionnaires were completed by 205 newly hired nurses in 10 public hospitals, and hierarchical regression was utilized to analyze the data. The results indicated a positive correlation between a high degree of job standardization and task mastery, role clarity, acculturation and social integration. These findings suggest that a high degree of job standardization can facilitate quickly and efficiently the socialization process for new employees, it is recommended that organizations should establish a mechanism of “learning by doing” in bringing their newcomer up to speed.

Constraints of task identity on organizational commitment

This study examines how task identity, organizational commitment and career stage are related. Data are provided by 269 lower level employees in Taiwan. Employee age and organizational tenure are used as operational definitions of career stage. Results indicate that although an employee’s age moderately influences the relationship between task identity and organizational commitment, no moderating effect of tenure is found. In addition, the findings suggest an inverted U‐shaped curvilinear relationship between task identity and organizational commitment. The authors discuss the implications for theory and practice.

Burnout and Workplace Deviance among Flight Attendants in Taiwan

The relationship between burnout and workplace deviance, identified as a component of job performance, was examined. Burnout was assessed with the Maslach Burnout Inventory which has three dimensions, Emotional Exhaustion, Depersonalization, and Reduced Personal Accomplishment. Workplace deviance was defined as voluntary behavior that violates significant organizational norms and threatens the well-being of an organization, its members, or both. This was assessed with the Workplace Deviance Scale, measuring the extent to which the participants had engaged in workplace deviant behavior such as taking property from work without permission, making fun of someone at work, or cursing at someone at work. Anonymous questionnaires with stamped envelopes were distributed to a sample of 1,470 Taiwanese flight attendants at the Arrival Hall of Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport. A response rate of 22.45% was obtained. After cases with missing data (n = 27) had been eliminated, the sample totaled 303, 17 men and 286 women. The average age was 28.7 yr. (SD = 4.6). Results of hierarchical regression showed that Depersonalization scores were significantly predictive of Workplace Deviance scores but not Emotional Exhaustion and Reduced Personal Accomplishment scores. Possible reasons and implications of these findings were discussed.

Individual's Perception of Career Development and Job Burnout Among Flight Attendants in Taiwan

The purpose of this study was to examine whether an individuals perception of career development influences job burnout. The career development dimension included career choice satisfaction, career satisfaction, and confidence of career future. As for the job burnout dimension, it consisted of exhaustion, cynicism, and professional efficacy. Survey data collected from 358 Taiwan flight attendants indicated that with the exception that career satisfaction did not show a significant effect on professional efficacy, career choice satisfaction and confidence of career future were significantly predictive of all three dimensions of job burnout. Implications of these findings and suggestions for future research are discussed.

The relationship among interactive justice, leader–member exchange, and workplace friendship

Abstract Workplace friendship is an important issue in business. Despite its predominance within the management field, there are several unaddressed issues. This study examines the relationship among interactive justice, leader–member exchange, and workplace friendship. Based on data collected from 309 full-time Taiwanese employees, results indicate that interactive justice is positively associated with workplace friendship. Leader–member exchange mediates such relationships. Therefore, as far as the manager is concerned, interactive justice is an effective factor for promoting workplace friendship and the mediating effect of leader–member exchange cannot be neglected.