Hotels' dependency on online intermediaries and their chosen distribution channel portfolios: Three country insights

New intermediaries are entering the market, challenging the hospitality industry to find an appropriate distribution channel portfolio. This research investigates how many channels hotels in Austria, Germany and Switzerland choose and what role the various channels play. Findings based on 1014 questionnaires reveal an average mix of 8.06 offline and online channel categories. Traditional channels, such as walk-ins and telephone, still play a major role; however, about one fifth of the bookings are completely generated online. On average, 3.61 online travel agencies (OTAs) are used. With regards to OTA penetration, an oligopolistic market structure is prevalent. Swiss and German hotels' OTA dependency is higher than Austrian's. A series of a posteriori cluster analysis results in four distribution portfolio groups hoteliers choose: multi-channel-, electronic-, real time-, and traditional distributors. Distribution portfolio profiles facilitate learning from strategies used by hotels with certain characteristics such as target group and star-rating

Market entry strategies in post-financial crisis Southeast Asia: The case of Japanese manufacturing firms

Existing research on entry mode determinants is firmly grounded in the transaction cost and resource-based literature, while institution-based location characteristics lack attention. The primary goal of this paper is to address the determinants of entry mode choice by Japanese manufacturing firms in Southeast Asia after the financial crisis by highlighting the institutional perspective in particular. Results show that institutional factors make significant contributions to the understanding of the entry mode selection of Japanese manufacturing firms and partly override the effect of firm-specific factors