The Adoption of Internet Technologies by Independent Hotels in the UK

Merged with duplicate record 10026.1/670 on 27.02.2017 by CS (TIS)The growth of the technology and its range of possible uses have made it a necessity for independent hoteliers to examine their use of the internet, specifically its effectiveness for marketing and distribution purposes. It is widely recognised that the independent hotel sector makes up the bulk of the hotel industry in the UK and often do not have the resources or desire to keep up with new technologies. This study scrutinizes, evaluates and establishes the factors that influence the decision to adopt a range of internet technologies for marketing and distribution within the UK Independent hotel sector. The conceptual framework of this study is underpinned by Davis's Technology Acceptance Model (1989) and Rogers' Diffusion of Innovations model (1995). The study's findings have confirmed, challenged and extended these two theories. Critically, it has established that the ease-of-use of a technology and its affordability do not affect hoteliers' deployment decisions, when numerous studies have suggested otherwise. The study also revealed that the hotel sector as a whole had not only expanded the range of internet technologies adopted, but the proportion of adopters had also increased. A series of qualitative exploratory interviews were carried out and analysed to inform a larger quantitative survey. Survey data was collected from 408 independent hoteliers and analysed to contribute to the conceptual development of a taxonomy. In the process, hypotheses testing, regression, discriminant and cluster analysis were carried out, linking various hotel characteristics, hotelier perceptions and their propensity to deploy internet technology for marketing and distribution. The core of the developed taxonomy illustrated three groups of hoteliers: the internet application (IA) reticent; the IA realist; and the IA rationalist. This taxonomy, supported by a more precise profile and definition of independent hoteliers, facilitated the identification of managerial implications for various stakeholders. A significant implication of the study inferred that travel intermediaries' will continue to have a sustained stronghold on independent hoteliers

Applying Qualitative Approach in Business Research

Researchers and students in the business field are increasingly turning to qualitative methods to seek answers for complex research questions. Current literature presents a copious number of published qualitative research compared to previous decades, in which qualitative methods serve mainly as an exploratory inquiry toward more comprehensive quantitative studies. Although qualitative research is now widely adopted in both academia and practice, a dearth of germane literature that argues and discusses key challenges in applying qualitative methods continues to compound the scepticism and ambiguity of the research process. Moreover, details on the analysis process gleaned from research articles are often limited and thus offer little to learn from. Qualitative analysis thus resembles a black box, an analogy of intricacy and complexity. In this editorial, we discuss how to define the scope and goals of a qualitative study, examine current literature, and provide practical guidance for researchers in business to apply qualitative approach and methods. We also detail several steps for qualitative analysis and introduce Computer Assisted Qualitative Data Analysis (CAQDAS) software for this purpose. Finally, we draw from other disciplines to guide and encourage researchers to adopt qualitative research as part of their inquiry endeavour

An improved image processing approach for machinery fault diagnosis

Wavelet analysis has been proven to be effective in analysing non-stationary vibration signals. However, the interpretation of the wavelet analysis results, such as a wavelet scalogram, requires high levels of knowledge and experience, which remains a great challenge to practitioners in the field. Recently, the rapid development and advancement of image processing technologies have shed new light on this challenge. In this study, image features such as Harris Stephens(Harris);speeded-up robust features(SURFs);and binary, robust, invariant, scalable keypoints (BRISKs)were obtained from a red, green, and blue (RGB) colour-filtered wavelet scalogram. Each colour filter generates a set of image features from an RGB-filtered wavelet scalogram. Then, the features were utilised as inputs to the fault classifier, namely the support vector machine (SVM),for fault classification. However, there will be a situation where the classification results from the fault classifier, based on the image generated from the different colour filters, are contradictory to each other. No conclusion can thus be made in these situations. This paper employed the Dempster-Shafer (DS) theory to refine the contradicting results and provide an ultimate conclusion to the machine condition. Therefore, the proposed method has improved the fault classification accuracy from 69% to 78%

Synergistic effects of catalytic co-pyrolysis Chlorella vulgaris and polyethylene mixtures using artificial neuron network: Thermodynamic and empirical kinetic analyses

The catalytic pyrolysis of Chlorella vulgaris, high-density polyethylene (Pure HDPE) and, their binary mixtures were conducted to analyse the kinetic and thermodynamic performances from 10 to 100 K/min. The kinetic parameters were computed by substituting the experimental and ANN predicted data into these iso-conversional equations and plotting linear plots. Among all the iso-conversional models, Flynn-Wall-Ozawa (FWO) model gave the best prediction for kinetic parameters with the lowest deviation error (2.28–12.76%). The bifunctional HZSM-5/LS catalysts were found out to be the best catalysts among HZSM-5 zeolite, natural limestone (LS), and bifunctional HZSM-5/LS catalyst in co-pyrolysis of binary mixture of Chlorella vulgaris and HDPE, in which the Ea of the whole system was reduced from range 144.93–225.84 kJ/mol (without catalysts) to 75.37–76.90 kJ/mol. With the aid of artificial neuron network and genetic algorithm, an empirical model with a mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of 51.59% was developed for tri-solid state degradation system. The developed empirical model is comparable to the thermogravimetry analysis (TGA) experimental values alongside the other empirical model proposed in literatur

The adoption of internet technologies by independent hotels in the UK

The growth of the technology and its range of possible uses have made it a necessity for independenht otelierst o examinet heir use of the internet,s pecifically its effectivenessfo r marketinga nd distribution purposes.I t is widely recognisedt hat the independenht otel sector makesu p the bulk of the hotel industry in the UK and often do not have the resourceso r desiret o keepu p with new technologies.T his study scrutinizes,e valuatesa nd establishesth e factorst hat influence the decision to adopt a range of internet technologies for marketing and distribution within the UK independenht otel sector. The conceptualf ramework of this study is underpinnedb y Davis's TechnologyA cceptanceM odel (1989) and Rogers' Diffusion of Innovations model (1995). The study's findings have confirmed, challengeda nd extendedt heset wo theories.C ritically, it hase stablishedth at the ease-of-useo f a technology and its affordability do not affect hoteliers' deployment decisions, when numerous studiesh aves uggestedo therwise.T he study also revealedt hat the hotel sectora sa whole bad not only expanded the range of internet technologies adopted, but the proportion of adopters had also increased. A series of qualitative exploratory interviews were carried out and analysed to inform a larger quantitatives urvey. Survey dataw as collected from 408 independenht oteliers and analysedt o contributet o the conceptuald evelopmento f a taxonomy.I n the process,h ypotheseste sting, regressiond, iscriminant and cluster analysisw ere carriedo ut, linking various hotel characteristics, hotelier perceptions and their propensity to deploy internet technology for marketing and distribution. The core of the developed taxonomy illustrated three groups of hoteliers: the internet application (IA) reticent; the IA realist; and the IA rationalist. TI-ds taxonomy, supported by a more precisep rofile and definition of independenht oteliers,f acilitated the identification of managerial implications for various stakeholdersA. significant implication of the study inferred.t hat travel intermediaries'w ill continuet o have a sustained stronghold on independent hoteliers.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Deconstructing the learning experience of students on alternative degree pathways: A researcher-practitioner perspective

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