Edward Ku
Assistant Professor, National Kaohsiung University, Taiwan.
Fei-Hung Chen
Associate Professor, Chao Yang University of Technology, Taiwan.
Ming-Yi Huang
Master Student, Ming Chuan University, Taiwan.The Strategic Collaboration Adaptation between
Travel Agencies
It is known that firms use different forms of inter-organizational
exchange to secure the resources they require, including licensing,
collaborations and mergers and acquisitions (Fan & Ku, 2010). From the
perspective of resources based view, as networks facilitate the flow of
collaborators’ information, they also make it possible for a firm to
acquire knowledge via a partner as well as directly from a partner.
Collaborators’ knowledge sharing can be regarded as a key resource
that enables a firm to produce a sustained competitive advantage.
On the other hand, the collaborative partnership approach requires
trust and commitment for long-term cooperation, with a willingness to
share risks. Gules and Burgess (1996) noted that this relationship is
based on cooperation, mutual benefit and trust, and relational
exchanges. Under this model, the buyer’s consideration of a preferred
supplier is not simply based only on price or cost, but also the factors
that contribute more to suppliers’ competence in production,
distribution, and post-purchase service. It is also beneficial for suppliers
to be able to access the business skills and expertise of their buyer
partners.
Notwithstanding the many years that travel agents have worked
together, some observers maintain that the travel agencies have not yet
established an entirely satisfactory collaboration. Huang (2006) pointed
out that travel agencies struggle constantly to innovate and create new
business strategies to meet the ever-changing customer needs and
diversity of demands from the increasingly prudent traveler. From the
perspective of the role of travel agencies, travel agencies should devise
suitable packages for customers and provide their employees with
sufficient knowledge of travel products.
The research objectives of the present study are to determine how
the strategic cooperating adaptation of travel agencies is influenced by
the product innovation and strategic collaboration. It is proposed that it
is important that firms understand the competitive environment of the
industry, as this will facilitate their appropriate strategy choice. Data
were obtained via a mailed questionnaire survey from a sample of
travel agencies in Taiwan.