As one of the world's most valuable fish, Tuna can either be found in inexpensive tins on grocery store shelves or on high-end auction blocks destined for Japanese sashimi and sushi restaurants. Moreover, Thailand is reported to be the world's largest exporter of prepared or preserved tuna, which in 2019 contributed an estimated $2.5 billion to Thailand's exports. However, brand research is very limited for canned tuna, especially when it comes to product packaging cues, and how packaging affects a consumer's decision-making process. Therefore, this study set out to investigate which factors play the greatest role in a Thai consumer's brand loyalty (BL) for tuna fish canned products. Research teams using systematic random sampling were dispatched to five supermarkets within the Bangkok metropolitan area and collected 400 questionnaires answering items related to brand attitudes (BA), brand quality (BQ), and brand value (BV) as they related to canned tuna brand loyalty (BL). Thereafter, data analysis of the four constructs and 13 observed variables was conducted with use of LISREL 9.1, which included a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), a goodness-of-fit (GOF) analysis along with the study's structural equation modeling (SEM). Results determined that there was a positive effect (73% R 2 ) between all the causal factors on Thai canned tuna BL. Furthermore, the factors affecting BL ranked from the greatest to the lowest were BA, BQ, and BV with total effect (TE) values of 0.85, 0.33, and 0.19, respectively. Key takeaways from the study's research seem to indicate that canned tuna is viewed by most consumers as a ‘commodity’, with product availability and convenience being of the utmost importance in product brand selection. Global fishing stocks sustainability, labor costs/practices, and dolphin free catches within the tuna industry were also determined to be important aspects within the international consumer community. Also, due to the demand for high-quality and safe tuna products, adding value has become increasingly important in satisfying consumer demands and represents an opportunity for marketplace expansion.

The study intended to investigate the factors that affect the total quality management (TQM) process in the 1,800 firm Thai auto parts industry. Automotive parts export shipments from Thailand are ranked 13th globally and are destined for over 100 countries, with Thailand’s combined automotive industry representing 12% of GDP. Therefore, with the authors understanding the importance of this economic sector, a research tool was developed, which contained a five-level scale to investigate 455 auto parts managers, executives, and owners’ opinions. Topics surveyed included the respondents’ opinions on the effects of knowledge management (KNG), product quality (QLY), strategic planning (STY), and technology and innovation (TIN) on the Thai auto part industry TQM process. The study’s eight hypotheses made use LISREL 9.1 software to analyze the final structural equation model (SEM). Results showed that all the model's variables had a positive influence on TQM, which can be combined to explain the variance of the factors affecting TQM (R²) by 78%. Additionally, the variables affecting TQM ranked in importance were STY, KNG, QLY, and TIN. Disruptive change has also arrived within the automotive sector, as Industry 4.0 technologies, the Internet of Things (IoT), and artificial intelligence (AI) are being used in the development of a new generation of autonomous and electric vehicles (EVs), making many current manufacturers' technologies and processes obsolete. Therefore, management and vendors must embrace these changes for their survival. The study's results highlight the necessity for international firms to embrace innovation and technological change to retain a competitive advantage or even their survival. Governments and educational institutions must also go the ‘extra mile' to support their domestic automotive and auto parts sectors.

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Abstract

Purpose: The study is concerned with the examination and analysis of the factors that affect an international traveler's intention to purchase travel services online before visiting Thailand. Presently, the Kingdom is the 10 th most visited country in the world. Design/Methodology/Approach: The research instrument consisted of a 45 item, seven-part questionnaire which used a seven-level Likert type agreement scale to gather the opinions of the 585 international travelers to Thailand. LISREL 9.1 was used to conduct the initial confirmatory factor analysis [CFA] and the structural equation modeling [SEM] of the 12 hypotheses model, which contained six latent and 18 observed variables. Findings: Trust was determined to play the most significant role in a traveler's use and purchase of online travel services. There were also significant relationships between the traveler's attitude and perception of an online website's ease of use and trust. Results indicated that Booking.com was chosen by the majority of the surveyed respondents (38.12%), while Agoda (21.2%) was a distant second. The variables ranked in importance included trust, perceived ease of use, the traveler's attitude, the social networks, and the perceived risk. Practical Implications: As yet, it appears that consumer international online travel bookings are still focused on price, with a traveler's trust of the website and underlying company far and away is the most crucial factor for a purchase to be made. Also, companies should know that travelers rely heavily on other's opinions and this is paramount in importance in the purchase process. Originality/Value: The results of this study sheds some light on how international travelers use social media and networks, which can be of si gnificant economic importance to tourism and infrastructure use planners.