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Impact of Corporate Volunteers’ Participation in Volunteer Tourism

Sustainable development has become the focus and goal of governments around the world. In the past, economic development was the primary goal, which has caused serious environmental and social problems and has threatened the safety of mankind and its descendants. The "United Nations Sustainable Development Goals" is a project that companies have been paying much attention to with the environment with social, and governance (ESG) and corporate social responsibility (CSR) new trends. The development of corporate volunteers has become a key factor in the success of corporate social responsibility. Therefore, business operators must understand accurately how to strengthen the positive connection between corporate volunteers and brand attachment. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship model between corporate volunteers in Taiwan participating in volunteer tourism, experience value, and brand attachment. We used a purposeful non-probability sampling procedure at a 95% confidence interval and a sampling error of 0.5% (n = 388). Data collection tools included structured questionnaires distributed both online and on paper, targeting individuals who had participated as corporate volunteers and completed domestic volunteer travel. The results indicated that both older and younger corporate volunteers in Taiwan were involved and had profound travel experience in volunteer tourism. Older corporate volunteers exhibited a stronger brand attachment. The current workplace in Taiwan is dominated by middle-aged employees, providing volunteer tourism activities with their expertise. Volunteers tend to engage in a meaningful experience deeply while ensuring that young volunteers value motivation and benefits. Additionally, corporate volunteers found happiness, relaxation, and satisfaction in volunteer tourism activities. The most memorable experiences that influence corporate participation in volunteer tourism are related to local culture and novelty factors.

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Examination of Operational Strategy of International Tourist Hotels

To gain a competitive edge in the dynamic landscape of the global tourist hotel industry, strategic development is important. Thus, we scrutinized the strategic management plans to diversify hotel business models, focusing on the role of Chief Executive Officers (CEOs). We conducted qualitative research with a snowball sampling method and interviewed ten experienced CEOs who were engaged in the industry. All interviewees possessed a minimum of 14 years of expertise and experienced a minimum of two types of business models. They experienced the industry as entry-level employees and various tasks such as room or food and beverage (F&B) management. Four used to work for six hotels and four for globally franchised hotels. The research result revealed that CEOs must have self-learning and a proclivity to undertake challenges in diverse regions and distinct systems. Moreover, CEOs need to align their operational strategies with the eight indices specified by the Tourism Bureau. The business model of the global hotel franchise is attributed to its cost-effectiveness, profitability, and autonomous decision-making capabilities. The management team with industry expertise is advantageous for the hotel. Eight operational strategies were proposed to mitigate potential damages arising from external factors. Franchise hotels exhibited commendable accommodation rates and profitability compared to their independent counterparts. To alleviate interdepartmental conflicts, well-organized supporting systems must be implemented.

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Evaluation of a Model of Transition-Related Instruction to Enhance Self-Directed Career Development of Students with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

This study was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of a transition-related instructional model (TRIO) for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). The model promoted self-directed problem-solving concerning transition-related goals and career development. The TRIO model contained three instructional phases for problem-solving. Throughout the three phases, three essential elements were determined in the transition curriculum for the self-directed learning process, including transition-specific curriculum, self-determination instructions, and the circle of support. 79 junior high school students participated in this study doing group assignments. They were split into the experimental group (n = 36) with the TRIO instruction and the control group (n = 43). Scores on the Career Planning and Development Questionnaire before and after the intervention were analyzed. The results indicated that the experimental group showed significantly higher scores than the control group on the overall career competency and each sub-domain, and the patterns of score change were different between the experimental and control groups when applying the hierarchical linear model (HLM).

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Review and Prospect of “Micro-Credit” Courses in Higher Education SPROUT Project (HESP)

We delved into the challenges encountered during the implementation of micro-credit courses, specifically “Application of the Multiple Intelligences Theory in Designing Teaching Aids” and “Children's Poetry and Song Creation” in 2020. The objective of this study was a meticulous analysis of course effectiveness, focusing on student satisfaction and feedback. In the “Application of the Multiple Intelligences Theory in Designing Teaching Aids” course, 42% of the 50 students rated satisfaction at 5, 44% at 4, and 14% at 3. In the “Children’s Poetry and Song Creation” course, 53% of the 48 students rated satisfaction at 5, 33% at 4, and 14% at 3. Feedback from the students who attended “Application of the Multiple Intelligences Theory in Designing Teaching Aids” highlighted satisfaction with the course content and the instructor’s conscientiousness. However, several students suggested reducing the volume of teaching aids. For “Children’s Poetry and Song Creation”, students acknowledged the instructor’s diligence but recommended more emphasis on “teaching aid creation. Challenges included a disparity between student preferences and departmental focus, non-cross-disciplinary course restrictions, limited promotion leading to a narrow student pool, budget constraints affecting instructional materials, and short, sporadic course durations hindering effective assessment.

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