Purpose – The objectives of this study are to find out why tour operators implement quality assurance, and what problems and challenges they face in doing so. Design/methodology/approach – This study utilized a multiple‐case study approach, interviewing the senior managers of three...

The impact of e‐business on export management companies (EMCs) has been debated for some time and several reasons for their survival have been forwarded. Based upon the resource‐based perspective of the firm, this study provides a far more fundamental reason for the survival of the...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to introduce the concept of robust design in retail service literature. Design/methodology/approach – Using a Taguchi design comprising of inner L 8 (2 7 ) and outer 2 2 arrays, a discrete choice task was designed for 233 students respond to....

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of the balanced scorecard methodology in web services quality. A balanced scorecard framework is developed for web services quality by identifying critical success factors that make up the business objectives, measures, targets, and...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the leisure cruise service environment – the shipscape – and its effects on cruisers' emotions, meaning‐making, and onboard behavior. Design/methodology/approach – This paper uses qualitative data from 260 cruise customers that were...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to clarify the question: should management segment the markets according to different “cultures”, serving the target consumers with the minimum “cultural shock” and providing the most appropriate service for consumers from different nations?...

Purpose – The purpose of this editorial is to introduce the reader to three papers discussing the role of atmospherics within predominantly hedonic service settings. Design/methodology/approach – This editorial introduces the papers in this special section. Findings – Atmospherics plays a...

Purpose – The purpose of this research is to examine the impact of atmospherics on consumer symbolic interpretations, and various psychological outcomes in a purely hedonic service environment. Design/methodology/approach – Field data were collected from 500 respondents in Florida across...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to introduce the idea of green atmospherics and propose a conceptual framework for green service environment factors and a typology for green consumers. Design/methodology/approach – This paper takes the form of a conceptual piece. and offers a new...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the service quality of Macao's World Heritage (WH) site as perceived by visitors involving both tourists and local residents. Design/methodology/approach – The empirical data was collected via structured questionnaires to obtain views of...