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Competitor Pressure, Customer Pressure and Firm Performance in Vietnamese Tourism Businesses: The Mediating Role of Cross-Channel Integration
Full text linkThis study examines the impact of competitor pressure and customer pressure on adopting cross-channel integration (CI) and its subsequent effect on the performance of tourism enterprises. The study further explored the mediating role of CI in the relationship between these two pressures and firm performance – a gap that has been largely overlooked in previous research. Data from 248 Vietnamese tourism firms were analyzed using SmartPLS 4.0 and structural equation modeling. The results demonstrate that customer and competitor pressures positively influence the adoption of CI, which in turn improves business performance. These findings have significant theoretical and practical implications for understanding and promoting the adoption of CI among tourism businesses
Book Review: ESL Writing Activities, Games & Teaching Tips: Practical Ideas for the Classroom by Jackie Bolen
Full text linkMISSIO AD GENTES IN THE CHINESE CONTEXT: FROM MAXIMUM ILLUD TO THE PROVISIONAL AGREEMENT
Full text linkPope Benedict XV, who is often known as the "missionary pope" or the “unknown Pope,” developed a missiological approach which was especially significant for the Far East, especially China. His focus on missionary work or missio ad gentes is a reflection on the very nature of the Church itself. In his apostolic letter Maximum illud he describes it according to three principles. The first is on the obligations of the laity to act as 'missionary disciples.' The second stresses the non-political nature of mission. An the third describes the local nature of mission. While the political, economic and missiological situation has changed since these documents, these three principles still remain relevant. The obligations of missio ad gentes, both in relation to faith within the Church (ad intra) and in relation to local communities (ad extra) remains important for the whole Catholic Church, and especially for the Chinese Catholic Church. This essay will explore the relevance of mission ad intra and ad extra for the Catholic Church in China
Semantics of Cardinal Directions in Benguet Cultural Practices
Full text linkPurpose: Benguet is a province rich in cultural heritage; moreover, the significance of cardinal directions in their cultural practices should be given more attention. This study aimed to identify the cultural practices of Indigenous Peoples in Benguet that incorporated cardinal directions and revealed the meanings of the cardinal directions in these cultural practices. Research design, data, and methodology: A document review was used, and among the 38 documents reviewed, 20 unveiled Benguet cultural practices integrating cardinal directions. These were treated using profiling through descriptive statistics and thematic analysis. Findings: It was revealed that cardinal directions are mainly seen in burial practices, but other practices also used these directions in pig slaughtering, customary law, trading, weaving, and weather forecasting. Constant practice was common in the four cardinal directions; however, each also has its distinct meanings: East is associated with supernatural intervention, eternity, passage to the afterlife, and women’s earthly responsibilities and afterlife authority; North signifies environmental wealth and receptivity; West is linked to discoveries and opportunities, and men’s earthly responsibilities and afterlife disposition; and South means unfavorable meteorological conditions. Conclusions: Therefore, it is concluded that cardinal directions play a significant role in cultural practices in Benguet as they highlight a deep connection between the people's beliefs and these directional aspects of their environment, which are still applied due to their lasting cultural significance
A Quantitative Study on Factors Influencing College Students’ Satisfaction with Cloud-Based Online Courses in Chengdu, China
Full text linkPurpose: In the fierce market competition, education and training institutions seek to improve the satisfaction and perceived usefulness of cloud-based online courses to improve their survival and development. This study investigates the influencing factors of satisfaction with cloud-based online courses in Chengdu, China. Research design, Data, and methodology: The quantitative study will collect data through questionnaires from 503 undergraduate students with more than one year of experience in cloud-based online courses at a public university in Chengdu, China. The sampling methods are purposive, stratified random, and convenient. Before data collection, the index of item-objective congruence (IOC) and pilot test (n=50) were used to verify validity and reliability. The convergence validity and discriminant validity of the measurement model were evaluated by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The structural equation model (SEM) is used to test the influence of the measured variables, and the research conclusion is drawn. Results: Course content quality, perceived usefulness, system quality, information quality and service quality significantly influence on satisfaction. Moreover, perceived ease of use significantly influences perceived usefulness. Conclusions: Cloud-based online courses should be improved in the aspects of content quality, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, information quality, system quality, and service quality to improve satisfaction, and the market competitiveness. 
Impacts of Trade Flows on Household Welfare During Covid-19 Pandemic: Evidence from OECD Countries
Full text linkWhile there are studies examining the relationship between COVID-19 policies and international trade, there is still limited evidence examining the relationships between international trade and household welfare during the COVID-19 pandemic. To fill this gap, this study examined the presupposed associations between international trade and household welfare in OECD countries. The study applies the fixed effects regression method to analyze panel data compiled from the UN COMTRADE and the OECD Social and Welfare Statistics databases. The findings reveal that international trade flows show significant associations with various aspects of household welfare indicators including unemployment rate, labor underutilization rate and household savings. Furthermore, the results show that the COVID-19 pandemic had significant effects on labor underutilization, household consumption, and household savings. Policy recommendations are addressed based on the key findings
Exploring the Factors Influencing Chinese Consumers’ Condominium Purchase Decision
Full text linkThis research aims to explore the factors influencing Chinese consumers’ purchase decisions regarding purchasing of condominiums for residential purposes in Thailand, and to understand consumers’ rationale and concerns in relation to these factors. Data were collected through semi-structured in-depth interviews with respondents of Chinese nationality, selected through purposive sampling. The qualitative data were coded and analyzed using the NVIVO program. As a key finding of the study, the author identified 17 key factors comprising (1) location, (2) functionality, (3) expenses, (4) safety, (5) future rental or sale opportunities, (6) scenery and surroundings, (7) facilities, (8) reputation of developer, (9) growth trend of property price, (10) interior decoration, (11) ventilation, (12) number of floors, (13) physical condition of the condominium, (14) type of residential project, (15) construction quality, (16) property management, and (17) design. The study generates a wide range of factors, rational and concerns of this particular market segment due to qualitative nature of the study, which ultimately contributes a more thorough research model for future quantitative study
Insignificant but Essential: The Critical Role of Non-Significant Variables through Necessity Logic in Sport Event Tourism Context
Full text linkThis study explores the application of Single Necessary Condition Analysis (NCA) alongside traditional regression-based techniques, such as Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), to provide a comprehensive understanding of consumer behavior in sport and tourism settings. Traditional methods, including SEM, often rely on additive logic, which predicts outcomes using multiple variables that can compensate for each other. While useful, this approach may offer an incomplete picture of complex consumer phenomena. In contrast, necessity logic, exemplified by NCA, identifies conditions that must be present for an outcome to occur. This study applies NCA to evaluate the essential factors influencing intentions to visit sport events in Bangkok, Thailand, specifically focusing on attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control as necessary conditions. The findings indicate that if these conditions are not met, the intention to visit a sport event typically will not occur. By integrating both necessity and additive logics, this study reveals that all variables in the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) are indispensable for forming an intention to visit a sport event. The analysis shows that attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control are necessary conditions, even though subjective norms and perceived behavioral control may not appear significant in traditional SEM tests. The study underscores the importance of considering multiple causal perspectives—deterministic, probabilistic, and typicality—to achieve a holistic understanding of consumer intentions. This dual approach ensures that significant variables are not overlooked, providing robust support for the TPB in the context of sport event marketing. Future research should continue to incorporate complementary perspectives to enhance the accuracy and depth of consumer behavior analysis in various settings
