臺灣博碩士論文加值系統

Companies can create competitive advantages by adopting the marketing strategies. It can result in creating profitable relationship with customers, differentiation themselves to gain superior customer value than others.
This study focus on investigating how small tourism firms in Laos create their competitive advantage by investigating business environment of PEST analysis, and Porter’s Five Forces Analysis. The marketing analytic tools, such as, Segmentation-Targeting-Positioning (STP), and service marketing of 7Ps are also employed to examine the issue.
The research conducted in qualitative study applying in-depth interview with seven small business owners in tourism industry in Laos. The results show that motivation arises from being involving or experience in the business at young age, customer’s satisfaction can be captured by creating the differentiation and the proper use of 7Ps, supportive external environment enhances the competitive advantage. The result can contribute to readers who want to establish a tourism related companies in Laos to have some information beforehand. It is recommended that companies should create their uniqueness to benefit from the market, wisely use of marketing-mix can generate an advantage, be flexible and react fast to the change of business environment can create competitive advantage.

Contents

Acknowledgement I
Abstract II
Contents III
List of Figures V
List of Tables VI
Chapter 1: Introduction 1
1.1 Overview 1
1.2 Research Questions 4
1.3 Research Motivation 5
1.3.1 Personal motivation 5
1.3.2 Academic motivation 6
Chapter 2: Literature reviews 7
2.1 Tourism definitions and terminology 7
2.2 SME, competitive advantage, and distinctive competencies. 9
2.2.1 SME definitions and The Importance of SME on Laos Economy 9
2.2.2 Definition of Competitive Advantage 11
2.3 Business management and marketing strategies 13
2.4 SME on tourism 18
2.5 Conceptual framework 24
Chapter 3: Methodology 27
3.1 Qualitative research design 27
3.2Data collection methods 28
3.2.1 Interview Method 28
3.2.2 Online Interview 28
3.2.3 In-depth interviews 29
3.2.4 Use of Cameras and Digital Recorders in Qualitative Research 29
3.3 Data analysis methods 30
3.4 Overview of Cases Companies 31
Chapter 4: Data Analysis Result 34
4.1 Research Result 34
4.2. Micro Environment (Motivation and Goal) 35
4.2.1 Inspiration to do the business 37
4.2.2 Company’s goal and motivation 38
4.2.3 Reasons to quit or stay in the business 40
4.3 Micro Environment (Marketing Strategies) 41
4.3.1 Segmentation 44
4.3.2 Differentiation 46
4.3.3 Marketing Mix (7Ps) 47
4.4 Macro Environment (PEST Analysis and Five Forces Analysis) 55
4.4.1 PEST Analysis 59
4.4.2 Five Forces Analysis 64
4.5 Business Model with Porter’s Value Chain 70
4.6 Participants’ Suggestions to Improve Laos Tourism. 75
4.6.1 Improve Transportation Facilities 77
4.6.2 Better Waste Management 78
4.6.3 Enhance Safety 79
4.6.4 Need more advertisement 79
Chapter 5 Conclusion 81
5.1 Summary 81
5.1.1 Segmentation, Targeting, and Positioning (Differentiation) 82
5.1.2 7Ps Strategies 84
5.1.3 PEST Analysis 85
5.1.4 Five Force Analysis 86
5.2 Research Contribution 87
5.3 Research Limitation and Suggestion for Future Research 90
5.4 Lesson Learned (Qualitative Method only) 91
References 93
APPENDIX A: INFORMED CONSENT FORM FOR INTERVIEWS 97
APPENDIX B: INFORMED CONSENT FORM FOR INTERVIEWS (IN LAO) 98
APPENDIX C: INTERVIEW QUESTIONS 100
APPENDIX D: INTERVIEW QUESTIONS (IN LAO) 102
APPENDIX E: DATA TRANSCRIPTION SAMPLE 104

List of Figures

Figure 2.1 The Three Generic Strategy (Porter, 1985). 12
Figure 2.2 The four Ps of the marketing mix (Armstrong and Kotler, 2015). 14
Figure 2.3 Designing a Customer-Driven Marketing strategy (Armstrong and Kotler, 2015). 16
Figure 2.4 The Five Competitive Forces that Determine Industry Profitability (Porter 1985). 17
Figure 2.5 Conceptual Framework 26
Figure 4.1 Guesthouse Value Chain 71
Figure 4.2 Off-road Laos Value Chain 72
Figure 4.3 Travel agent in Luang Prabang Value Chain 73
Figure 4.4 Travel agent in Vientiane Value Chain 74
Figure 5.1 The use of segmentation and Targeting to create competitive advantage 83
Figure 5. 2 Summary of small companies’ creating differentiation 84
Figure 5. 3 Summary of 7Ps model on companies’ competitive advantage 85
Figure 5.4 Summary of PEST factors on Small Companies’ Competitive Advantage 86
Figure 5.5 Summary of Five Forces that affecting Laos tourism 87
Figure 5.6 Participants’ suggestions to improve Laos tourism 90

List of Tables

Table 2.1 Summary of SMEs definition 10
Table 3.1 Summary of basic Participants information 33
Table 4.1 Micro Environment (Motivations and Goals) 36
Table 4.2 Summary of Micro Environment (Marketing Strategies) 42
Table 4.3 Summary of Macro Environment (Five Forces Analysis) and (PEST Analysis) 57
Table 4.4 Participants’ Suggestions to Improve Laos Tourism 76

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