Dandison C. Ukpabi

Consumers acceptance of information and communications technology in tourism

The review provides a conceptual framework on e-tourism research.Research on e-tourism is grouped into three classifications.Research on these three groups are uneven.Synthesis of theories, theories and frameworks provided. The impact of information and communications technology (ICT) in tourism (e-tourism) has altered the ways tourism services are accessed and consumed. Ubiquitous and highly innovative ICTs provide different channels for consumers to use tourism services; thus, studies on e-tourism are numerous and fragmented. Different factors account for how consumers embrace these channels. The purpose of this study is to review studies on consumers acceptance or adoption of e-tourism in order to group the studies, synthesize the theories, models and frameworks used and identify the antecedents influencing consumers e-tourism acceptance and usage. A total of 71 studies from 2005 to 2016 (inclusive) from both tourism-based and non-tourism-based journals were selected, synthesized, and included. Based on their contexts, similarity and relevance, the 71 studies were segregated into three distinct groups. This study found that research among the groups is uneven. Implications and research directions are suggested.

Insights into online reviews of hotel service attributes: A cross-national study of selected countries in Africa

Online travel reviews are paramount to trip planning because they help consumers’ form images of destinations. Despite ample studies on hotel service attributes, knowledge is scarce regarding culturally nuanced attributes, including security perceptions. This study examines consumers’ perceptions of service attributes and security/safety concerns of hotels in Africa. Data were extracted from three hotel categories (3, 4, and 5-stars), which were based on TripAdvisor rankings from Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa. A hybrid analysis revealed that hotel service attributes and security/safety are cardinal evaluation criteria for visitors to Africa. Additionally, our study reveals that most negative reviews were from 5-star hotels and Egypt received more positive reviews in all the service attributes than other countries.

Influence of Social Media on Corporate Heritage Tourism Brand

Heritage tourism is an established research canon. However, corporate heritage tourism is an emerging research stream that integrates the heritage tourism canon and corporate brand attributes. This study, utilising a conceptual approach and proposing a conceptual model, explicates the role of social media (marketer and consumer-generated media) in fostering a sense of community among the corporate heritage tourism brand adherents and visit intention among members of the community. In addition, this study incorporates social identity theory to dilate group dynamics and to foster strong feelings and sense of identity among its community.

Application of information and communication technology for internationalization of Nigerian small- and medium-sized enterprises

Information and communication technology (ICT) has fundamentally transformed business transactions. While its uses have become ubiquitous in the advanced economies, emerging and developing economies are still struggling with the mode and manner of the deployment of ICT for business. Thus, this study seeks to investigate how small‐ and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) utilize ICT in Nigeria for business internationalization. To achieve the goal of the study, a mixed‐method was employed. A questionnaire was administered to 265 people consisting of SMEs staff, managers, and owners. Similarly, interviews were conducted with seven SME decision makers. Findings revealed that Nigerian SMEs used ICT tools, such as websites and social media platforms, for internationalization. The findings also revealed that the challenges of ICT did not affect its application by these SMEs, which contrasts with many previous studies. Furthermore, this study identified privacy concerns, internet problems, cyber insecurity, trust, and system anxiety as new challenges facing the application of ICT tools by SMEs. Similarly, the findings showed that lack of ICT competence and strategic focus of ICT applications are internal problems facing Nigerian SMEs. These findings provide insight for practitioners and academia on the internationalization of Nigeria SMEs and the application of ICT to promote business growth.

Smartphone Usage Among Millennial in Finland and Implications for Marketing Segmentation Strategies: Lessons for Nigeria

The study examines smart phone usage by millennial based on different criteria of operating system, Wi-Fi, text messaging, internet surfing and social media. The study used quantitative methodology and data were gathered with online questionnaires with 391 young smartphone users in Finland. The Millennial were clustered into five levels. The results reveal the prominent status of profiling in a developed market and how marketers in emerging markets can apply segmentation and targeting strategies using instant messaging, text messages, email, mobile app, gamification and social media based on the profile of each segment. Nigerian policy makers should adopt a framework to make smartphone affordable for people as it constitutes a goldmine for marketing professionals on their segmentation and targeting strategies.

Do Online Travel Communities Matter? A Literature Review

The emergence of social media has migrated consumers from peripheral stakeholders to strategic partners whose inputs are critical for successful product and service innovation. Online communities provide a platform for aggregation of consumers from diverse backgrounds; online travel communities (OTCs) have recently attracted growing interest in the information systems and tourism literature because their unofficial boundary spanning role influences consumer interest in destinations. Importantly, this literature remains largely fragmented because of conflicting findings. The present study seeks to integrate prior OTC research in order to understand the motivations and consequences (negative and positive) of OTCs, as well as interaction platforms. Among the 63 reviewed studies, psychological, social, and utilitarian motivations were identified, with both positive and negative consequences for firms and individuals. Additionally, the studies were found to employ different methodological approaches, based on distinct and heterogeneous theories. The paper concludes with some implications and directions for further research.

Who is winning the paradigm war? The futility of paradigm inflexibility in Administrative Sciences Research

There has been a long time controversy about which is the most appropriate research methodology in administrative sciences research. This has resulted into two polar research views: Quantitative and Qualitative methods. This study explores the philosophical underpinnings of research methodology using two research projects (one quantitative and another qualitative). It analysed the two research papers in the light of the chosen research design and methods. Pros and cons of the quantitative and qualitative research with respect to the chosen research topics were discussed. It defined the triangulation approach and explained conditions under which a triangulated research can be used. It also, based on the research papers analysed, drew out the pros and cons of the triangulation method. This paper therefore concludes that no one method is the best but the best method depends on the research topic and the circumstantial exigencies surrounding the study.