Purpose The purpose of this paper is to propose a new integrated model that combines the concepts of network ties (e.g. political ties and business ties), the organization of internal critical attributes (such as social capital, human capital and innovation capability) and analyses of how those critical attributes influence organization performance and competitive advantage. Design/methodology/approach A structural equation model and three-way interactions in moderated multiple regressions was used to test the hypotheses on a sample of 621 cultural and creative industry (CCI) managers in Taiwan. Findings The results indicate that human capital mediates the relationship between social capital and innovation capability. Furthermore, innovation capability also plays a mediating role in connecting the relationships between human capital, competitive advantage and organizational performance. The findings indicate that business ties strengthen the relationship between social and human capital. The level of human capital is at its peak when social capital, business ties, and political ties considerably interact with one another. Research limitations/implications The present study conceptualized the topic and systematized the questionnaire design and data collection, statistical analysis, and report writing. This study performs a systematic analysis to present the research but does not employ in-depth qualitative interviews to analyse the essential attributes of the different entrepreneurial styles. In-depth interviews enable the interviewees to completely depict their feelings, experiences, motivations, emotions and attitudes. Thus, this method can provide an in-depth analysis. Studies can be conducted to analyse the complexity of the processes involved. Practical implications This study determines and emphasizes that networking with various factors to create innovation is the key to enhancing competitive advantage and organizational performance. Innovation is a unique characteristic and a basic kinetic energy that affects various strategic organizational behaviours that positively influence competitive advantage and facilitate organizational performance. Hence, CCI firms need to consider market orientation and innovation in this highly competitive environment. Originality/value To the best of the knowledge, how CCI firms use networking sources to create competitive advantage and organizational performance, thereby promoting the development of the CCIs of Taiwan, has not been analysed in the tourism-related literature. Thus, the present study provides a significant contribution to the human capital literature, in which empirical research analyses the three-way interaction and demonstrates the empirical insights that may be used to study human capital. The findings reported in this study will encourage future researchers to employ multilevel human capital perspectives.

Purpose This paper aims to propose a new model and examine how night market entrepreneurs have achieved a competitive advantage in strongly competitive markets. Design/methodology/approach Two statistics methods, multiple regression analysis and structural equation models (SEM), were used to test the hypotheses for a sample of 346 vendor cases. Findings The results indicate that competitive aggressiveness and being proactive are positively related to risk-taking among night market vendors, which, in turn, has a positive effect on innovativeness. Further, the findings also indicate that risk-taking positively influences innovativeness and, in a mediating role, also affects competitive advantages through innovativeness. Practical implications Results of this study suggest that if night market entrepreneurs demonstrate innovativeness, positively develop new products and new services and attract customers to buy them, then they will have unique and attractiveness in the night markets, thus giving themselves relative competitive advantage. Originality/value This research is the first comprehensive examination of entrepreneurship among night market entrepreneurs to study the competitive advantages of different facets, which may provide a benchmark for future studies.

The purpose of this study was to examine the roles of four distinct aspects of brand equity-perceived quality, brand awareness, brand loyalty, and brand image-in tourism satisfaction with regard to Taiwanese night markets. Regression analysis and structural equation models were used to test the hypotheses for a sample of 348 foreign tourists with experience in night market tourism. The results indicate that perceived quality is positively related to brand awareness, whereas brand awareness is positively related to brand loyalty and brand image. This finding confirms the positive relationship between brand loyalty/image and tourist satisfaction. The empirical evidence of the Sobel test following Baron and Kenny's procedure supports the multiple mediation effects of brand awareness on perceived quality and brand loyalty/image and indicates that brand loyalty/image mediates the effects of brand awareness and satisfaction.

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the mediating and moderating processes that link crisis management to tourist attitude changes and hygiene/safety perceptions through destination image. Design/methodology/approach Data from 524 tourists and structural equation models were used to examine the tourists’ perceptions of attitudes, safety perceptions and destination images in Taiwan. Findings The effectiveness of crisis management may positively influence destination image through attitude changes and hygiene/safety perceptions. This study also confirms that information sharing may not only speed up the process of positive destination-image development but also strengthen relationships among the critical attributes of crisis management. Originality/value As the impact of the COVID-19 crisis continues, it is critical to understand the role of crisis management in destination image and identify how attitudes or behavior intentions can be affected in the fast-spreading network of information sharing in an increasingly competitive tourism and hospitality market.

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