Search results

The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between risk characteristics, risk perception and future travel intention in the context of food safety risk.

This research used a structured questionnaire administered to a convenience sample of 715 participants. By using structural equation modelling method, a travel intention framework was successfully developed to test the impact of characteristics of food safety risk on perception of risk, and subsequently on travel intention. In addition, the framework was also tested and compared with different demographic groups.

The research confirms that the characteristics of risk have impact on the two dimensions of perception of risk, namely, likelihood of occurrence and consequence of occurrence in turn travel intention. Furthermore, characteristics of risk affect demographic groups differently.

The finding of this study offers insight into the distinct effects between the two dimensions, namely, likelihood and consequence of risk perception and each dimension consists of different loss components and has different effect on travel intention.

The framework provides insight to the government and travel industry that risk perception is a paramount issue for travellers when making destination decision. As such, the government and travel industry should take action to prevent the occurrence of food risk and to reduce the severity consequence of the risk when it occurs.

This research is one of the few studies generating new insights into perception of food safety risk in international tourism from the social science and marketing perspective.

Consumer risk perception plays an important role during periods of food safety concern because it shapes the behaviour of consumers. Multi‐dimensional analysis helps to provide a thorough understanding of consumer‐perceived risk. A survey of 172 respondents was carried out to investigate the importance of individual loss components and the differences between sociodemographic characteristics regarding microbiological risk in chicken meat. The results suggest that health loss is the most important component followed by psychological, financial, time and taste losses. All these loss components were found to be significantly different between degree and non‐degree holders, while long‐term health and social losses were different within gender and age groups respectively. The findings in the study of microbiological risk in chicken meat are likely to be applicable to other food safety related risks.

Increased incidents of food poisoning in recent years have greatly shaken consumers’ confidence in food. Livestock farmers are among the least trusted parties in the food supply chain. Building trust between consumers and livestock farmers is critical in order to maintain benefit to both parties. In this context, this paper attempts to explore the process on how trust is developed. By adopting stepwise multiple regression, a conceptual model was tested with 182 respondents. Empirical results showed that trustful information, care for consumers, honesty and fairness to consumers are important to building trust during the period of food safety concerns. Suggestions for future research together with implications for livestock farmers are given.

Growing concerns about risks to public health have heightened consumer awareness of safety in food consumption. Understanding consumer perception of risk and impact on purchase behaviour is a key issue for the mutual benefit of both consumers and food industry. An exploratory study in the form of personal interviews was carried out to investigate the perceived main food risks in chicken meat product, together with the components of perceived loss and risk reducing strategies. The results suggested the importance of lifestyle loss as a separate factor along with health, financial, time, and product performance loss. Risk reducing strategies adopted by consumers were matched with the marketing strategies used by the food industry, such as product quality assurance, product information and pricing. Consumers felt able to reduce exposure to food safety risk by personal control in the post‐purchase handling and preparation of chicken meat.

The purpose of this study is to explore the hospitality franchise purchase decision-making process undertaken by franchisees in Macau as an emerging tourism destination and the role of national culture on purchasing a franchise brand and selecting a potential franchisor.

Semi-structured in-depth interviews with 18 franchisees in Macau, who purchased international and domestic hospitality franchise brands, were conducted to understand the feelings, attitudes and motivation of franchisees toward purchasing a hospitality franchise.

The study reveals that national culture can play an important role in franchisees’ decision-making process. Personal networks of friends and family (guanxi) are very influential in introducing and steering aspiring entrepreneurs toward franchising as an option to realize their ambitions, although there may be some limitations to franchisees with this approach. Guanxi was also found to be particularly relevant during negotiations and franchisees’ post-purchase reviews.

International franchisors should understand the importance of guanxi at different stages of the franchisees’ decision-making process. Franchisees should realize how a reliance on guanxi might negatively affect their efforts to undertake sufficient research to thoroughly evaluate the franchisor offer before contract signature.

A comprehensive hospitality franchisee decision-making purchase framework is developed, which includes the cultural context and cultural values. Guanxi, in particular, affects the franchisee decision-making process.

Adapting from the extant literature, this paper aims to present an empirical framework of risk measurement in the context of food safety risk in overseas destinations.

Data were collected from 715 respondents visiting Macau in October 2008 by using intercept method. Principal component analysis followed by confirmatory factor analysis were utilised for data analysis.

The research yielded 12 factors, of which five factors, namely Dread, Framing effect, Controllable, Regulation and Past experience measure risk characteristics; two factors, namely Uncertainty and Consequence measure tourist risk perception, and five factors, namely Travel information, Safety assurance, Destination reputation, Marketing activities and Precaution measure risk reduction, especially related to food safety risk in international destinations.

The tourist industry should understand more specifically what tourists want to know so as to devise appropriate communication management strategies at the international destination.

The risk measurement framework provides an insight for the development of an instrument to assess the social and economic impact on tourist perception of international travel risk.

Food safety is an important issue facing consumers, the food industry and the government. Since consumers cannot themselves easily assess food safety risks, their perception of food safety is, in part, a matter of trust in the food chain. This study seeks to focus on livestock farmers and to investigate the causal relationship between the factors that determine consumer trust, regarding food safety and in turn their purchase likelihood.

By integrating theories developed in several disciplines, six factors, namely: providing information, competence, integrity, benevolence, credibility, and reliability were adopted for this study. The conceptual model was tested with a sample of 194 individuals in the form of a structural equation model using LISREL 8.30.

The research confirms that livestock farmers could draw benefit from strategies to increase their trustworthiness through provision of information, show their benevolence and integrity to consumers, and in turn positively influence consumers' purchasing decision.

Livestock farmers should understand more specifically what consumers want to know and provide accurate and reliable information.

This exploratory study provides a useful insight into the potential benefit from trust building that could be derived by livestock farmers, food safety regulators and the food supply chain as a whole, as well as the ways in which this might be achieved.

Consumer perception of a harmful and hazardous food risk and the strategies to reduce the exposure to such a risk are examined. A survey of 172 respondents confirmed the perceived risk theory and risk reducing strategies commonly used for the downside risk, and that expectations of negative utility are relevant to understand consumer perception of food safety risk. This study also shows that consumers are able to assess the uncertainty and the negative consequence of a perceived hazardous risk, and take action to reduce their exposure to the perceived risk. The findings seem to support the quality assurance scheme, useful information, brand, or product origin, which are the important risk reducing strategies of microbiological risk. Being a pilot study, this framework should be tested by using a product with which the risk is perceived to be beyond the control of consumers.

This study aims to explore the factors that affect the work attitudes of Generation Y towards the hotel industry in Macau from the perspective of senior management.

Using a purposeful sampling method, an in-depth interview with five executives in the hotel industry who are having a supervisory or managerial role from different departments and types of hotels was undertaken; the executives have a supervisory or managerial role from different departments and types of hotel.

The results reveal that attitudes of Generation Y lack the key aspects that potential staff should carry, but organizational culture and human resource management strategies, as well as external environment, can influence Generation Y’s work attitudes and loyalty. The findings also indicate that building Generation Y’s positive work attitudes and moderating the negatives are vital roles of human resource management strategy to maintain service performance.

A comprehensive Generation Y work-attitude framework is developed, and this study incorporates practitioner engagement in real-world practice, which impacts upon service performance in the hotel industry.

Food safety has become a major issue of public concern, encouraging the UK Government and the food industry to take steps to rebuild consumer confidence. In this context, the paper draws on a review of research literature to develop a conceptual framework to identify and review the factors influencing consumer perception of food safety related risks and the likely impact on purchasing behaviour. The relevance of strategies adopted by consumers to reduce risk exposure and the influence on the likelihood of food purchase are also explored, together with the implication for the food industry.