Ivan Ka Wai Lai

The Roles of Value, Satisfaction, and Commitment in the Effect of Service Quality on Customer Loyalty in Hong Kong–Style Tea Restaurants

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the roles of perceived value, customer satisfaction, and affective commitment as they mediate the effect of service quality on customer loyalty at Hong Kong–style tea restaurants, which are quick-service restaurants with a fusion menu of Western and Asian foods. Based on the analysis of data collected from 382 customers of these tea restaurants, the study found the following relationships: (1) service quality positively influences perceived value, customer satisfaction, and customer loyalty; (2) perceived value is a mediator of the relationship between service quality and customer satisfaction; (3) customer satisfaction positively influences affective commitment and customer loyalty; and (4) affective commitment is a mediator of the relationship between customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. Contrary to expectations, however, perceived value does not have a significant effect on customer loyalty for these restaurants. This study highlights the role of affective commitment in the study of service quality, and also is one of the few that addresses Asian restaurants because it demonstrates the moderating effects of culture in the relationships between Hong Kong–style tea restaurants and their customers.

Local reactions to mass tourism and community tourism development in Macau

ABSTRACT By 2014, it became apparent that a popular debate was emerging in many destinations about the “annoyances” felt by local residents in the face of an upsurge in inbound tourism. This study investigates residents’ attitudes toward mass tourism and tourism development in Macau. It comprises an examination of three emotional solidarity factors of residents’ perceptions of the contribution of tourism to the community and the communitys experiences of so-called “annoyances” from tourists that may ultimately influence residents’ attitudes toward community tourism development. The results of this study reveal that three emotional solidarity factors play different roles in influencing residents’ attitudes about community tourism and community tourism development. The theoretical contributions, as well as implications, are discussed and future research opportunities are proposed.

How to improve the university–industry collaboration in Taiwan's animation industry? Academic vs. industrial perspectives

ABSTRACT This study demonstrates the use of importance–performance analysis (IPA) to prioritise the motivators that can facilitate university–industry collaboration in the animation industry in Taiwan. This study confirms that financial supports and education are still major reasons for academia to participate in the university–industry collaboration. Reducing costs and obtaining human training are the reasons for animation firms to join the university–industry collaboration. However, by comparing the results of IPA for academia and industry, this study recommends four common interest motivators from both academic and industrial perspectives and where efforts should be concentrated. Research facilities, external competencies, talents, and innovation capacity are very important for the animation industry of Taiwan.

A consideration of normality in importance-performance analysis.

It is widely believed that results of research are only valid when the distribution of data is relatively normal. However, most previous importance–performance analysis (IPA) studies have not considered the assessment of data normality. The aim of this study is to evaluate the importance of the normality assumption in IPA studies. Four data sets obtained from four experimental questionnaire surveys were used to demonstrate the changes in outcomes from non-normally distributed data sets to relatively normally distributed data sets by removing abnormal data. The results indicate that the distributions of attributes in four quadrants in importance–performance mapping for non-normally distributed data sets and relatively normally distributed data sets are similar when using direct IPA measurement method; however, they show differences when performing indirect IPA measurement methods. It is concluded that in order to ensure high-quality research outcomes, researchers should justify data normality in their IPA studies.

Identifying the Needs of Flexible and Technology Enhanced Learning in Vocational and Professional Education and Training’s (VPET) Workplaces

The appropriate technology enhanced pedagogical approaches ultilising mobile and flexible technologies would generate better learning and teaching experiences in workplaces. However, there is a lack of in-depth study of Vocational and Professional Education and Training’s (VPET) students, teachers and workplace mentors’ teaching needs. With an aim to identify suitable pedagogical practices to devise suitable e-learning means for more effective learning and teaching in VPET’s workplaces, 26 interviews with students, teachers and workplace mentors were conducted to identify the support and training needs that may be required by students and teachers for the identification of specific instructional strategies to derive innovative pedagogical practices. Findings of this study revealed that due to the advances in technology, blending face-to-face teaching with e-learning or mobile learning is the current trend in VPET’s learning and teaching to accommodate flexible learning, enhance motivation and interaction. It is also suggested that Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) together with guidance, collaboration and training would able to accommodate VPET students, teachers and workplace mentors’ learning and teaching needs. Implications are on the resources, timely technical support and updating of innovative pedagogies, training for teacher and mentor and the acceptances of the ‘new’ by the students, teachers and workplace mentors.

Gambling motivation among tourists in Macau's casino resorts

ABSTRACT The number of tourists visiting casino resorts has risen in recent years. Tourists often view gambling as a leisure activity option that they can participate in during their holiday. This study aims to investigate the motives that influence tourists’ gambling intention. A list of potential motives is derived from the extensive tourism literature, and a sample including 462 respondents was collected in Macau. The survey results indicate that benefits, learning, pleasure, costing, and socialization are all motives for tourists to engage in recreational gambling. However, adventure, relaxation, prestige, and winning are not influencing factors among tourists who gamble during their trip. The study also explores the moderating roles of gender, age, and educational level on the relationship between different motives and gambling intention. Understanding the motives for why tourists gamble is useful for integrated resort operators to formulate marketing strategies for attracting tourists.

Understanding Learners’ Intension Toward Massive Open Online Courses

Based on the technology acceptance model (TAM) by Davis et al., this research proposes an acceptance model for studying the learner adoption of massive open online courses (MOOCs) where the factors of trust and perceived playfulness are amended. A total of 212 valid samples were collected in China. The results indicate that trust and perceived usefulness are key factors that determine learners’ intention of attending MOOCs; perceived playfulness also affects learners’ perceived usefulness and trust toward MOOCs. Furthermore, recommendations for the development, implementation and research of MOOCs are provided based on the findings.

A Blended-Experiential Learning Model: An Action Research Case Study

This research proposed a blended-experiential learning model for the higher education. Participatory action research method was selected in order to validate the proposed model. Eight students were invited to participate in this project to develop a live case that demonstrated how students operating a restaurant ‘Cafe de Music’ in spring 2016. The thematic concern for students was ‘how to improve food quality, service quality, and atmosphere quality of the Cafe de Music’. The results of three action research cycles showed how the blended-experiential learning model successfully worked in a hospitality education case and how students learned by reflection in this case setting. Furthermore, recommendations for educators to implement the proposed model were provided based on the findings.

The Acceptance of WeChat Questionnaire Function for Data Collection: A Study in Postgraduate Students in Macau

The aim of this study is to identify the factors that influence the acceptance of WeChat questionnaire function. The empirical results were obtained in a sample of 153 postgraduate students in Macau. The results of PLS analysis indicate that social network size influences performance expectancy and price value, then, performance expectancy, social influence, facilitative conditions, and price value directly affect the acceptance of using WeChat questionnaire function to collect data. Although effort expectancy does not show a significant direct effect on the behavior intention toward the use of WeChat questionnaire function, it shows an indirect effect on the behavior intention through the performance expectancy. The results of this study provide implications for social media developers to improve the questionnaire function for researchers to collect data.

The importance of online dictionaries in language learning: a case study on third language acquisition of German

The paper aims to study the ways in which online dictionaries help learners in their language learning in two perspectives: motivation and acquisition. A case study is drawn from a population of learners who chose Basic German as a third language to illustrate the results not only that the factors of social influence and self-management motivate them to use online dictionaries such as PONS Deutsch-Englisch/Englisch-Deutsch Online Worterbuch in Basic German written assignments but also that they demonstrate their disappointment on the performance expectancy in using them for German learning. The latter is further evidenced in the error analysis conducted on the patterns of grammatical errors committed by the learners. Nevertheless, the pattern of grammatical errors can as well provide a scenario for new functions to be incorporated in online German dictionaries developed by software companies in the future.