Hsiang‐Ming Lee and Ching‐Chi Lee
This study aims to examine the country‐of‐origin's impact on consumer purchase behavior post‐acquisition, especially when the acquirer‐dominant business is afflicted by a low…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine the country‐of‐origin's impact on consumer purchase behavior post‐acquisition, especially when the acquirer‐dominant business is afflicted by a low country‐of‐origin image and the acquired business enjoys a high country‐of‐origin image. This study also aims to examine brand redeployment strategy impacts on consumer purchase intentions.
Design/methodology/approach
Data are collected from an online questionnaire in Taiwan. A total of 325 usable questionnaires are returned. Data analysis is conducted using regress analysis and ANOVA.
Findings
These results indicate that general country attributes and general product attributes have a positive effect on purchase intentions. In addition, general product attributes play a mediating role between general country attributes and purchase intentions. These results further show that target‐dominant redeployment strategy is the most powerful to purchase intentions. A company which wants to use M&A to increase market share must seriously consider general country attributes, general product attributes and brand redeployment strategy because these three constructs affect purchase intentions, and consequently maintain consumer loyalty and attract new customers.
Originality/value
There were seldom studies which investigated country‐of‐image effect and M&A from marketing perspective. The major contributions of the study were investigating consumers' perception of the effects on country‐of‐origin image and the redeployment strategy on an acquired brand.
Details
Keywords
Hsiang‐Ming Lee, Ching‐Chi Lee and Cou‐Chen Wu
The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between the variance of two brand images and dimensions of brand equity after M&A, especially when the acquirer‐dominant…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between the variance of two brand images and dimensions of brand equity after M&A, especially when the acquirer‐dominant is affiliated to a weak brand image and the acquired one has a stronger brand image.
Design/methodology/approach
In total, 409 responses were collected through random sampling from an internet survey platform in Taiwan (weak image differences were gathered from 209 respondents and strong image differences were gathered from 200 respondents).
Findings
This study uses an experimental design to discuss how the variance of two brand images (this study uses two kinds of M&A: a company with an inferior brand image acquires one with a superior or average brand image) affects the acquirer's brand equity (perceived quality, brand association, and brand loyalty). This study also examines how brand equity of an acquired brand changes after M&A. Results from the MANOVA and paired‐sample t‐test methods show that the greater the perceived differences between acquirers and acquired brands, the more the brand equity of the acquirer will increase. In addition, all the dimensions of brand equity for the brand with a superior image decrease significantly.
Originality/value
Few studies have evaluated the brand image effect of an M&A from a marketing perspective. The contribution is to help managers understand whether the acquirer should preserve the obtained brand and focus on increasing brand equity of the acquired brand to avoid the loss of customer loyalty.
Details
Keywords
Ut Lon Im, Ching-Chi Cindia Lam and Erdan Ma
COVID-19 has hard-hit the global economy when the majority of developed countries could not demonstrate effective resolutions even a year after the outbreak. This study aims to…
Abstract
Purpose
COVID-19 has hard-hit the global economy when the majority of developed countries could not demonstrate effective resolutions even a year after the outbreak. This study aims to present how government or policymakers could minimize the negative impacts of major incidents (pandemic) and speed up the process of recovery. It was also intended to identify effective strategies for crisis management.
Design/methodology/approach
A mixed research method was applied. Qualitative research studies of interviews were used to collect primary data from the stakeholders while archival research method of textual and documental information was used for secondary data on the pandemic facts.
Findings
The impacts of the governmental and enterprise actions with a focus on effective mega-crisis management strategies were structured based on the three themes, namely, appropriate measures, timely decisions and the role of the government. These strategies can minimize the destruction to the economy (or organization) while stabilize the emotional and psychological aspects of the people during the crisis and lead the society back on track once the crisis starts to diminish.
Originality/value
The experience of Macao in successfully responding to the crisis of pandemic provides constructive references to policymakers on the set up of timely strategic plans and business management on remedy actions, particularly to regions where the pandemic is still out of control.
Details
Keywords
Li Keng Cheng, Hsien-Long Huang and Ching-Chi Lai
The number of people using running apps has increased. Accordingly, a growing number of sports brands are launching running apps in hopes of improving their connection with…
Abstract
Purpose
The number of people using running apps has increased. Accordingly, a growing number of sports brands are launching running apps in hopes of improving their connection with consumers and thereby enhancing consumers' brand preference and purchase intention. This study adopted an integrated perspective to explore the effects of perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use and self-expression on consumers' continued use of running apps.
Design/methodology/approach
Convenience sampling was conducted among consumers in Taiwan (n = 251). Structural equation modeling using AMOS 21 was performed to analyze the data.
Findings
The study results revealed that (1) users' perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use and self-expression significantly positively affected continuance intention, and (2) continuance intention was significantly positively correlated with word-of-mouth (WOM) and brand intimacy. Furthermore, the study confirmed the moderating effect of consumers' relationship norms on the correlation between continuance intention and WOM and brand intimacy.
Originality/value
Amid the increasing emphasis on self-expression, almost all running apps endeavor to enable users to share their achievements, such as accumulated mileage and routes. However, research has rarely focused on whether these features influence consumers' continued use of running apps and whether these influences in turn affect consumers’ attitudes toward a brand. Therefore, this study explored the effect of self-expression on the continued use of running apps.
Details
Keywords
Purpose: Drawing on research in crime and media studies, this research examines media images and stereotypes of criminals within the popular television crime drama series Bones…
Abstract
Purpose: Drawing on research in crime and media studies, this research examines media images and stereotypes of criminals within the popular television crime drama series Bones. Methodology/approach: All 24 episodes of Season 9 were examined. Through a content analysis offender gender, race, age, offense type, and motive were examined. Findings: This research revealed that most of the images do not reflect the reality of crime and criminals. Gendered and racialized images were revealed. While male minorities’ victimization was more accurately portrayed, White females were cast in the stereotype as the emotional offender and minority females’ criminality was portrayed as similar to male criminals.
Details
Keywords
Ching‐Chi (Cindia) Lam, Hilary du Cros and Tze Ngai (Louis) Vong
This article aims to examine how Macao could become a destination to attract health and medical tourists from the People's Republic of China (China), as since its return from…
Abstract
Purpose
This article aims to examine how Macao could become a destination to attract health and medical tourists from the People's Republic of China (China), as since its return from Portuguese control in 1999 it has been capitalising on its position as a cultural link between Portugal and China
Design/methodology/approach
A study was conducted recently on the possible demand for Western and traditional Chinese medicine practices by mainland Chinese tourists visiting Macao. A survey was undertaken of their views on consuming health and medical tourism products.
Findings
It was found that there is a definite opportunity for medical tourism in Macao among Chinese tourists. The bodycheck is the medical service most highly sort and word‐of‐mouth together with the internet are the most preferred channels for information. Majority also prefer to package their medical trip with tourism activities.
Research limitations/implications
Macao is the perfect place to study outbound Chinese tourists and their potential desire for special interest tourism activities, because they are entitled to enter on independent visas. Eventually, this will be the case in many more destinations and the results could be seen as predictive.
Practical implications
A mismatch between the requirements of the demand side and supply has been discovered and needs to be remedied with more public sector encouragement of this emerging niche.
Originality/value
The first study of its kind is carried out amongst Chinese outbound tourists, who can obtain independent leisure travel visas to tour outside China.
Details
Keywords
Erdan Ma, Cindia Ching Chi Lam and Ut Lon (Billy) Im
Macao survived the COVID-19 pandemic with only 46 confirmed cases and zero death (Macao Government Information Bureau, 2020). As one of the densest tourism cities in the world…
Abstract
Macao survived the COVID-19 pandemic with only 46 confirmed cases and zero death (Macao Government Information Bureau, 2020). As one of the densest tourism cities in the world, Macao was as vulnerable as any other cities under severe outbreak. The success was the result of instant responses from government, support from large enterprises and cooperation of the community. The pandemic fighting process was examined in five phases, in which a few key criteria were demonstrated in managing the crisis. Despite the positive result, the Macao government also learnt a lesson in future planning when the pandemic once again revealed the weakness of sole dependence on the tourism industry.
Details
Keywords
Cindia Ching-Chi Lam and Clara Weng-Si Lei
– The purpose of this paper is to consider the issue of forecasting hotel room rate with data from 2004 onwards and the forecast horizons of 91 observations.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to consider the issue of forecasting hotel room rate with data from 2004 onwards and the forecast horizons of 91 observations.
Design/methodology/approach
This study employs a set of time series data (91 observations) on average monthly hotel room rates to generate an Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average Models (ARIMA) forecasting model.
Findings
Through the employment of 74 percent observations, with 26 percent withhold for evaluation checking, six best models are identified from 50 models under study. The final model reports a high level of predictive accuracy and provides useful insights for hoteliers to form business strategies.
Originality/value
This research provides a well-defined model to forecast the room rate of three-star hotels in the city. The research findings provide good ground for strategic management of the industry, in which there is an imbalance between demand and supply of hotel accommodations. In addition, being the first of its kind in one of the largest gaming revenue generation city in the world, this research provides valuable information for further research of its kind in the future.
Details
Keywords
Duen-Ren Liu, Yun-Cheng Chou, Chi-Ching Chung and Hsiu-Yu Liao
Due to the rapidly increasing volume of users and products in virtual worlds, recommender systems are an important feature in virtual worlds; they can help solve information…
Abstract
Purpose
Due to the rapidly increasing volume of users and products in virtual worlds, recommender systems are an important feature in virtual worlds; they can help solve information overload problems. Virtual world users are able to perform several actions that promote the enjoyment of their virtual life, including interacting with others, visiting virtual houses and shopping for virtual products. This study aims to concentrate on the following two important factors: the social neighbors’ influences and the virtual house bandwagon phenomenon, which affects users’ preferences during their virtual house visits and purchasing processes.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors determine social influence by considering the interactions between the target user and social circle neighbors. The degree of influence of the virtual house bandwagon effect is derived by analyzing the preferences of the virtual house hosts who have been visited by target users during their successive visits. A novel hybrid recommendation method is proposed herein to predict users’ preferences by combining the analyses of both factors.
Findings
The recommendation performance of the proposed method is evaluated by conducting experiments with a data set collected from a virtual world platform. The experimental results show that the proposed method outperforms the conventional recommendation methods, and they also exhibit the effectiveness of considering both the social influence and the virtual house bandwagon effect for making effective recommendations.
Originality/value
Existing studies on recommendation methods did not investigate the virtual house bandwagon effects that are unique to the virtual worlds. The novel idea of the virtual house bandwagon effect is proposed and analyzed for predicting users’ preferences. Moreover, a novel hybrid recommendation approach is proposed herein for generating virtual product recommendations. The proposed approach is able to improve the accuracy of preference predictions and enhance the innovative value of recommender systems for virtual worlds.
Details
Keywords
Yao-Chun Tsao and Wen-Kuei Chen
The ‘managed stock’ market in Taiwan is neglected by the authorities and general investors. In this paper, we explore the link between financial trait and stock price changes in…
Abstract
The ‘managed stock’ market in Taiwan is neglected by the authorities and general investors. In this paper, we explore the link between financial trait and stock price changes in this special market.
Overall, we analyze and discuss managerial implications for institutional investors, general investors and the authorities as well.