Chuan Lee

Using fuzzy analytic hierarchy process to evaluate service performance of a travel intermediary

This study applies a fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (AHP) to evaluate service performance of a foreign travel intermediary (destination tour operator, DTO) through the host travel agencys vision. Service performance is a composite of various attributes, including many intangible attributes difficult to measure. Therefore, the present research adopts an AHP method and further integrates a fuzzy set theory into the service performance measurement to overcome the problem. This work collected evaluation criteria from 36 senior travel managers’ opinions, using the critical incident technique, and 56 general managers from different travel agencies to weight and rank the overall criteria by applying fuzzy AHP. Research results could help DTOs increase service performance and quality, and provide Asian travel agencies with objective standards to evaluate the most suitable business cooperators.

Optimizing a marketing expert decision process for the private hotel

The study builds on the marketing strategy decision process for marketing experts. Marketing strategy decision-making is necessary for marketing experts to determine a more efficient appropriate marketing strategy. Selecting the best marketing strategy is a multiple criteria decision-making (MCDM) problem, due to the complexity and difficulty of allocated specific resources and capabilities. This study provides a five-step decision-making process to enable careful marketing strategy assessment, and contributes to practical implementation for fuzzy analytic network process (fuzzy ANP) utilization by marketing experts in a real industry. The results also provide marketing strategy guidance to practitioners for capturing competitive advantage in elaborating specific and limited marketing resources. The proposed process is easily understood and followed by marketing experts to determine appropriate marketing strategy.

FUZZY GROUP DECISION MAKING IN PURSUIT OF A COMPETITIVE MARKETING STRATEGY

To determine marketing strategy may well be the most critical function of management. The pursuit of competitive advantage always requires much deliberate thought and discussion. The current study attempts to develop a marketing strategy evaluation framework based on the resource-based view (RBV) of the firm to competitive advantage. It tries to identify the most important marketing-specific resources and capabilities using a multiple criteria decision making (MCDM) method. This study employs the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method as an analytical tool to determine a unique competitive marketing strategy for a small tourism venture such as a privately owned hotel. The findings indicate that the differentiation strategy is the best competitive marketing strategy for allocating specific and limited resources and capabilities toward sustainable competitive advantage.

An expert system approach to assess service performance of travel intermediary

Asian travel industry, in terms of outbound travel markets, has been confronting the global accelerating competition in 21st century. Regarding to the outbound travels, the incumbent travel intermediaries (destination tour operators), the ultimate front-liners of tourism packages provisions is accordingly essential. Technically, estimation on the incumbent travel intermediaries is a series of multiple-criteria decision making (MCDM). Subsequently, this paper executes the implementation of focus group which interviewed 35 travel experts and further integrates the analytic network process approach (ANP) via the insights of host travel agency. Research results objectively enable the Asian travel agencies to evaluate the sustained travel intermediary as well as elaborating the service performance and quality.

DEA APPROACH FOR THE CURRENT AND THE CROSS PERIOD EFFICIENCY FOR EVALUATING THE VOCATIONAL EDUCATION

This study proposes an improved assessment system for vocational education, thus helping to increase technology college education efficiency. Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) was used to examine the relative managerial efficiency for evaluating current-period and cross-period efficiency of 38 technological institutes upgraded from junior colleges in Taiwan by 1998. In addition, the managerial efficiency variations of each individual institute in between 1995 and 1998 were also determined. The study results show that the operational category is significant among primary analysis variants, i.e. private schools perform significantly better than public schools in terms of managerial efficiency. However, geographical location is not significant. This study also verifies that integration of the results of both relative managerial efficiency analysis and managerial efficiency variation analysis could be a powerful approach to help design managerial strategies that are both appropriate and effective. Some strategies to improve organization-wide operational competencies for site decision-makers are recommended, and a new way of thinking to construct a more appropriate evaluation system for the educational authorities is introduced.

Accuracy analysis of the Grey Markov forecasting model

Abstract This work reorganized a new Grey Markov numerical forecasting model to as an application model. 30-day commercial papers primary market interest rates were used as an analytical example to examine the state number, state interval range and average accuracy of the Grey forecasting model, and how they influence the accuracy of the Grey Markov forecasting model. The analytical results reveal improving the average accuracy of the Grey forecasting model, also increases the accuracy of the Grey Markov forecasting model.

Competitive marketing strategies decision-making based on marketing resources and capabilities: evidence from the hospitality industry in Taiwan.

This study attempts to identify specific resources and capabilities of tourist hotel by developing an evaluation framework of marketing strategy on the grounds of the resource-based view (RBV) and competitive advantage. Due to the complexity and difficulty of allocated specific resources and capabilities, selecting a competitive marketing strategy is a kind of multiple criteria decision-making (MCDM) problem. The analytic network process (ANP) method is a relatively new MCDM approach to overcoming the independent restrictions in traditional MCDM methods. This empirical study affirms that the differentiation strategy is the best competitive marketing strategy because it focuses on the allocation of specific and limited resources and capabilities toward sustainable competitive advantage. The results of this study also suggest that practitioners increase their ability to concentrate on different aspects in their decision-making process to capture synergy.

Jackpot promotion model for Taiwan Lotto

Lotto was inaugurated in January 2002, and immediately became a popular activity in Taiwan; as the big craze following its initial introduction has subsided, the growth of Lotto game sales has slowed. To maintain lottery sales’ momentum, operators have conducted numerous jackpot promotions; this study examines the effectiveness of various jackpot promotional strategies. The analytical results can provide a valuable reference for operators and governmental authorities regarding ways of increasing lottery earnings. The empirical findings of this investigation include the following: (1) the effective price elasticity of Lotto is −0.382; Taipei Fubon Bank can increase the revenue gained from Lotto by increasing the effective price; (2) operators can significantly increase lottery sales by declaring the jackpot as an unconditional added fixed or variable bonus.

Quality selection criteria of travel intermediaries: the perspectives from front-line employees and managers.

ABSTRACT The study explores the selection criteria conducted by travel agencies, evaluating travel intermediaries (destination tour operator) founded on the visionary perspectives of product managers and front-line employees (tour leaders) of Taiwanese travel agencies. Statistically, data accumulated from the 36 product managers and 36 tour leaders by the critical incident technique indicates that local coaches, drivers, and local guides are monumental on group package tour (GPT) service sectors. Meanwhile, another critical issue being scrutinized is the selection scenarios, as to which prices are exponentially executed by product managers, whereas tour leaders tend to be destination tour operator qualities-oriented fundamentally. In order to enhance the destination tour operator service qualities, the research conducts relatively objective selection criteria in selecting the well-qualified and appropriate travel intermediaries as commissioners on the cutting edge travel agencies domain. More substantially, the revealed scenarios of destination tour operators supply the populously rivalous market, China, a relatively credential reference on selecting the well-suited Travel Intermediaries.

Measuring the effect of outbound Chinese tourists travel decision-making through tourism destination image and travel safety and security

Abstract Based on theory of travel behaviour a survey was developed and implemented in Taipei, Taiwan to investigate outbound Chinese tourists’ travel decision-making in terms of destination attributes, as well as travel safety and security and destination image toward international travel. This study explored the effects of travel safety and security (TSS) via tourism destination image (TDI) as a mediator on travel decision-making (TDM) from the Chinese outbound tourists’ perspectives. A self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted on the Chinese outbound tourists visiting Taipei’s prevalent tourism sites with 410 effective samples collected for analysis. This study concluded travel safety and security (TSS) impact on the tourism destination image (TDI) during the early travel decision-making (TDM) process. The results supported the hypotheses that travel safety and security (TSS) has direct and positive effects on travel decision-making (TDM) and that both travel safety and security (TSS) and tourism destination image (TDI) exert direct and positive effects on travel decision-making (TDM). Based on the findings, destination marketing organizations (DMOs) could develop proper tourism marketing and managerial strategies to enhance the destination attraction and competitiveness for the Chinese outbound tourists.