Joan Buckley

E‐service quality and the public sector

Definitions of e‐service and e‐government are considered in seeking to contextualise the discussion, and a distinction is drawn between e‐government and e‐public service. Current theoretical and empirical work is considered in conjunction with the contribution of the usability school and the commercial literature related to outcome measurement. While profit motivation has little relevance in the public sector, homogeneity of consumers, definability of tasks and finite and measureable outcomes can serve as likely conditions of success in e‐public service. The public sector is then considered in light of this knowledge. It is proposed that there is a continuum of public sector organisations based on complexity of task. Initial evidence suggests that e‐service delivery has greater potential for success in public sector tasks that have low or limited levels of complexity. Finally, the paper concludes that any discussion of e‐public service must take cognisance of the context, both internal and external, in which e‐service is delivered.

Towards a decision making model for city break travel

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the city break travel decision, and in particular, to develop a decision making model that reflects the characteristics of this type of trip taking.Design/methodology/approach – The research follows a sequential mixed methods approach consisting of two phases. Phase One involves a quantitative survey of 1,000 visitors to Dublin. The research distinguishes and compares city break and non‐city break visitor cohorts. Phase Two entails a qualitative analysis (involving 40 in‐depth interviews) that specifically examines the decision making behavior of city break visitors.Findings – The research shows city break trips to be relatively inexpensive, uncomplicated, and discretionary in nature. The city break travel decision emerges from quite distinct motives where situational factors proved particularly influential. The decision process mostly entailed low involvement / limited problem solving behavior with strong internet usage evident throughout.Originality/valu...

City Break Motivation:the Case of Dublin a Successful National Capital

Abstract This paper investigates why people take city break trips. The main objective of the study was to reveal the underlying push and pull motivational factors associated with taking a city break holiday to Dublin. In-depth interviews with 40 city break visitors uncovered six push factors and eight pull factors. The main push motives involved were ‘escape,’ ‘socialising,’ and ‘self esteem (gift giving).’ City breaks were generally viewed as active or ‘doing’ holidays, with the ‘relaxation’ motive hardly featuring at all as a reason to visit. Pull factors were found to be particularly important in terms of the travel decision. Factors such as ease of access and the availability of cheap flights were not only influential in determining the destination, but also acted, in some cases, as the main stimuli to take the trip.