title: Visitors to a Theme Park - Motives and Satisfaction: The Case of Janfusun, Taiwan

authors: Yeh, Shih-Shuo (Sam)

subjects: theme parks

abstract: This thesis is a study that aims to understand the pre, during and post visit behaviours of theme park visitors. This study took place at Janfusun Fancyworld, which is situated at Gukeng village Yun-Lin County, Taiwan. The park was the first Taiwanese theme park to achieve ISO 9002 and has hosted over 2 million visitors every year almost since its inception over a decade ago. By these criteria Janfusun is considered the leading theme park in Taiwan. Theme parks originally emerged from medieval and travelling fairs, but the success of locations such as Coney Island in the late nineteenth century introduced the element of exciting rides. At present the definition of a 'theme park' might be said to be an 'amusement park' that possesses a central theme based on history, fiction or other core. However, it is the researcher's own observation that Janfusun focuses more on the installation of hardware facilities, but pays less attention in creating an unifying theme. This situation may have affected the research outcome since Janfusun operates more as an 'amusement park' from a western perspective but markets itself as a 'theme park' within Taiwan, and is consistent with a Taiwanese understanding of the term of being a 'theme park'.
The main hypothesis adopted in this study is that satisfaction may be of two types: (1) generic, which relates to general 'push' needs such as those for relaxation, and (2) site specific, which relate to destination attraction features and 'pull' determinants. This thesis argues that the satisfaction of generic motives such as the requirement for relaxation and escape is contingent upon the ability of the attraction to meet the visit motives specific to the attraction. For example, a need for escape would not be met if a theme park visitor found the rides uninspiring, the portrayal of fantasy unconvincing and the food poor. Furthermore, researchers such as Foster (1999) suggest that some destination attributes, while considered important by the tourists, rarely act as an incentive to choose a specific destination, but the absence of these attributes can be a powerful deterrent. Some of the attributes, such as 'accessible toilets' and 'a place to rest', are considered as convenience factors in this thesis. This thesis attempts to understand the relationship of push, pull and convenience factors to the visitors' overall satisfaction. Also, this thesis tries to understand the role of socio-demographic variables in determining overall satisfaction. This thesis also includes a longitudinal study that allows the research to capture the effect of changes to visitors. For example, Janfusun has newly installed an artificial beach and wave feature that serves the social needs of its visitors. This thesis also examines the importance of repeat visitation in determining visitors' motivations and experiences. For example, it was found that visitors with high repeat visits are more aware of the 'new rides' than the first time visitors. Finally the last chapter attempts to answer two key questions, (a) why are the findings of importance to both conceptual literature and management practice, and (b) what might future researchers learn from this thesis. The objectives of this thesis are thus summarised as to:
1. Conduct a longitudinal study in Janfusun.
2. Identify visitors' pre-visit behaviour, which is associated with generic motives and push factors.
3. Identify visitors' during-visit behaviour, which is associated with site-specific features and pull factors.
4. Identify post-visit behaviour, which is associated with satisfaction and loyalty.
5. Identify the causal relationships between pre, during and post visit behaviours and conceptualise a model.
6. Identify the role of convenience factors.

text: Visitors to a Theme Park - Motives and Satisfaction: The Case of Janfusun, Taiwan This thesis is a study that aims to understand the pre, during and post visit behaviours of theme park visitors. This study took place at Janfusun Fancyworld, which is situated at Gukeng village Yun-Lin County, Taiwan. The park was the first Taiwanese theme park to achieve ISO 9002 and has hosted over 2 million visitors every year almost since its inception over a decade ago. By these criteria Janfusun is considered the leading theme park in Taiwan. Theme parks originally emerged from medieval and travelling fairs, but the success of locations such as Coney Island in the late nineteenth century introduced the element of exciting rides. At present the definition of a 'theme park' might be said to be an 'amusement park' that possesses a central theme based on history, fiction or other core. However, it is the researcher's own observation that Janfusun focuses more on the installation of hardware facilities, but pays less attention in creating an unifying theme. This situation may have affected the research outcome since Janfusun operates more as an 'amusement park' from a western perspective but markets itself as a 'theme park' within Taiwan, and is consistent with a Taiwanese understanding of the term of being a 'theme park'.
The main hypothesis adopted in this study is that satisfaction may be of two types: (1) generic, which relates to general 'push' needs such as those for relaxation, and (2) site specific, which relate to destination attraction features and 'pull' determinants. This thesis argues that the satisfaction of generic motives such as the requirement for relaxation and escape is contingent upon the ability of the attraction to meet the visit motives specific to the attraction. For example, a need for escape would not be met if a theme park visitor found the rides uninspiring, the portrayal of fantasy unconvincing and the food poor. Furthermore, researchers such as Foster (1999) suggest that some destination attributes, while considered important by the tourists, rarely act as an incentive to choose a specific destination, but the absence of these attributes can be a powerful deterrent. Some of the attributes, such as 'accessible toilets' and 'a place to rest', are considered as convenience factors in this thesis. This thesis attempts to understand the relationship of push, pull and convenience factors to the visitors' overall satisfaction. Also, this thesis tries to understand the role of socio-demographic variables in determining overall satisfaction. This thesis also includes a longitudinal study that allows the research to capture the effect of changes to visitors. For example, Janfusun has newly installed an artificial beach and wave feature that serves the social needs of its visitors. This thesis also examines the importance of repeat visitation in determining visitors' motivations and experiences. For example, it was found that visitors with high repeat visits are more aware of the 'new rides' than the first time visitors. Finally the last chapter attempts to answer two key questions, (a) why are the findings of importance to both conceptual literature and management practice, and (b) what might future researchers learn from this thesis. The objectives of this thesis are thus summarised as to:
1. Conduct a longitudinal study in Janfusun.
2. Identify visitors' pre-visit behaviour, which is associated with generic motives and push factors.
3. Identify visitors' during-visit behaviour, which is associated with site-specific features and pull factors.
4. Identify post-visit behaviour, which is associated with satisfaction and loyalty.
5. Identify the causal relationships between pre, during and post visit behaviours and conceptualise a model.
6. Identify the role of convenience factors.

year: 2008

title: Nature, Distribution, Origin and Economics of Glauconite in Carbonate-Phosphate-Glauconite Surficial Deposits on Central Chatham Rise, Southwest Pacific

authors: Lawless, Anna Shanti

subjects: Glauconite

abstract: Chatham Rise is a broad, elongated submarine platform that extends 1100 km out into the Southwest Pacific off eastern South Island. The surficial sediments on the central portion of the Rise at depths of 200-500 m include significant concentrations of the mineral glauconite (10-80 wt%) associated with skeletal carbonate, fine terrigenous material and locally abundant phosphatic nodules. This is the first study to fully analyse the nature, origin and economic potential of the glauconite component. Sub-bottom 3.5 kHz profiles have established the distribution, geometry and thickness (10-200 cm) of the surficial deposits, which overlie partially indurated Oligocene chalk of probable Whaingaroan age (~34-27 Ma). 137 grab, dredge or piston core samples have been analysed for their texture, mineralogy and geochemistry, which has produced a new surficial sediment map for the central Chatham Rise.

Glauconite most commonly occurs as dark green to black, very fine to fine sand-sized (0.2 mm), polished ovoidal and lobate pellets, and less commonly as infills within foraminiferal tests or as variably replaced rock fragments and phosphatic clasts. Full physical analysis reveals seven morphological types of glauconite including, in order of decreasing abundance, ovoidal, lobate, composite, internal molds, fossil casts, pigmentary, tabular and pellets within rock fragments. Their internal fabrics are dominated by random microcrystalline varieties with some oriented fibroradiating rim and skeletal infill types. Other notable features of some glauconite pellets include their expansion cracks, opaque inclusions and variable degrees of limonitisation. XRF/XRD analyses reveal mainly diagenetically mature varieties having elevated K2O (7-9 wt%) and Fe2O3 (19-23 wt%) values, and a dominant 10Å glauconitic mica structure involving from 10-20% expandable smectite layers.

K-Ar dates on pellets indicate a Late Miocene age (av. 5.75 Ma). This “old” age, as well as the clear evidence of reworking shown by the dominance of smooth polished ovoidal grains, mean that the central Chatham Rise glauconites are predominantly allogenic (i.e. derived/reworked), and neither strictly authigenic nor in situ, despite occurring in “modern” seafloor deposits. The formation of glauconite is linked to prominent upwelling within the Subtropical Front (STF) zone over the Rise in the Late Miocene, and the attendant heightened primary productivity, bacterial activity and nutrients associated with widespread biogenic blooms at that time. The source of the smectite required for glauconite formation could have been from the devitrification of volcanic ash from diverse eruptive centres, or through “neoformation”/authigenic precipitation within pore water solutions of carbonate-rich waters in the Oligocene/Miocene chalk substrate. Glauconite formation largely ceased after the Late Miocene due to an increase in terrigenous input, a reduced smectite source, and a major period of lowered sea level associated with Antarctic ice sheet growth. The “modern” Chatham glauconite pellets were sourced from submarine erosion of the former Late Miocene sediments and have been dispersed by intensified bottom current circulation at times of lowered sea level within the complex STF over Chatham Rise, and possibly ice scouring. Effectively there exists a widespread “Chatham unconformity” (mid-Oligocene to Recent) which cuts out most of the last 30 myr of the sedimentary record on central Chatham Rise, except for the highly condensed surficial deposits whose glauconite grains formed 5-6 Ma, in the Late Miocene. This long-lasting “Chatham unconformity” is a greatly extended version of the well documented Oligocene Marshall Paraconformity.

The thickness of the surficial sediment cover on central Chatham Rise ranges from 0.06-1.35 m. By using a conservative estimate of 0.5 m thick, and the wt% of glauconite within the sediment cover, a resource estimate of the glauconite has been made for various areas. In the most glauconite-rich area (>50 wt% glauconite) in the vicinity of Reserve Bank in 200-300 m water depths, which has an aerial extend of 4,500 km2, the glauconite resource amounts to about 2 Bt. The Chatham Rise glauconites have substantial economic potential as a potash fertiliser in support of the strong agricultural-based economy of New Zealand.

Glauconite is widespread in many Late Cretaceous-Cenozoic sedimentary deposits in the New Zealand rock record and the Chatham Rise occurrences provide a useful uniformitarian analogue for at least some of these.

text: Nature, Distribution, Origin and Economics of Glauconite in Carbonate-Phosphate-Glauconite Surficial Deposits on Central Chatham Rise, Southwest Pacific Chatham Rise is a broad, elongated submarine platform that extends 1100 km out into the Southwest Pacific off eastern South Island. The surficial sediments on the central portion of the Rise at depths of 200-500 m include significant concentrations of the mineral glauconite (10-80 wt%) associated with skeletal carbonate, fine terrigenous material and locally abundant phosphatic nodules. This is the first study to fully analyse the nature, origin and economic potential of the glauconite component. Sub-bottom 3.5 kHz profiles have established the distribution, geometry and thickness (10-200 cm) of the surficial deposits, which overlie partially indurated Oligocene chalk of probable Whaingaroan age (~34-27 Ma). 137 grab, dredge or piston core samples have been analysed for their texture, mineralogy and geochemistry, which has produced a new surficial sediment map for the central Chatham Rise.

Glauconite most commonly occurs as dark green to black, very fine to fine sand-sized (0.2 mm), polished ovoidal and lobate pellets, and less commonly as infills within foraminiferal tests or as variably replaced rock fragments and phosphatic clasts. Full physical analysis reveals seven morphological types of glauconite including, in order of decreasing abundance, ovoidal, lobate, composite, internal molds, fossil casts, pigmentary, tabular and pellets within rock fragments. Their internal fabrics are dominated by random microcrystalline varieties with some oriented fibroradiating rim and skeletal infill types. Other notable features of some glauconite pellets include their expansion cracks, opaque inclusions and variable degrees of limonitisation. XRF/XRD analyses reveal mainly diagenetically mature varieties having elevated K2O (7-9 wt%) and Fe2O3 (19-23 wt%) values, and a dominant 10Å glauconitic mica structure involving from 10-20% expandable smectite layers.

K-Ar dates on pellets indicate a Late Miocene age (av. 5.75 Ma). This “old” age, as well as the clear evidence of reworking shown by the dominance of smooth polished ovoidal grains, mean that the central Chatham Rise glauconites are predominantly allogenic (i.e. derived/reworked), and neither strictly authigenic nor in situ, despite occurring in “modern” seafloor deposits. The formation of glauconite is linked to prominent upwelling within the Subtropical Front (STF) zone over the Rise in the Late Miocene, and the attendant heightened primary productivity, bacterial activity and nutrients associated with widespread biogenic blooms at that time. The source of the smectite required for glauconite formation could have been from the devitrification of volcanic ash from diverse eruptive centres, or through “neoformation”/authigenic precipitation within pore water solutions of carbonate-rich waters in the Oligocene/Miocene chalk substrate. Glauconite formation largely ceased after the Late Miocene due to an increase in terrigenous input, a reduced smectite source, and a major period of lowered sea level associated with Antarctic ice sheet growth. The “modern” Chatham glauconite pellets were sourced from submarine erosion of the former Late Miocene sediments and have been dispersed by intensified bottom current circulation at times of lowered sea level within the complex STF over Chatham Rise, and possibly ice scouring. Effectively there exists a widespread “Chatham unconformity” (mid-Oligocene to Recent) which cuts out most of the last 30 myr of the sedimentary record on central Chatham Rise, except for the highly condensed surficial deposits whose glauconite grains formed 5-6 Ma, in the Late Miocene. This long-lasting “Chatham unconformity” is a greatly extended version of the well documented Oligocene Marshall Paraconformity.

The thickness of the surficial sediment cover on central Chatham Rise ranges from 0.06-1.35 m. By using a conservative estimate of 0.5 m thick, and the wt% of glauconite within the sediment cover, a resource estimate of the glauconite has been made for various areas. In the most glauconite-rich area (>50 wt% glauconite) in the vicinity of Reserve Bank in 200-300 m water depths, which has an aerial extend of 4,500 km2, the glauconite resource amounts to about 2 Bt. The Chatham Rise glauconites have substantial economic potential as a potash fertiliser in support of the strong agricultural-based economy of New Zealand.

Glauconite is widespread in many Late Cretaceous-Cenozoic sedimentary deposits in the New Zealand rock record and the Chatham Rise occurrences provide a useful uniformitarian analogue for at least some of these.

year: 2012

title: He Pikinga Waiora: Supporting Maori health organisations to respond to pre-diabetes

authors: Beaton, Angela

subjects: Science & Technology

abstract: Background
Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) is a common long-term condition affecting the health and wellbeing of New Zealanders; one in every four New Zealanders is pre-diabetic. Māori, the Indigenous people of New Zealand, are at an increased risk of developing pre-diabetes and T2D and there are significant inequities between Māori and non-Māori for T2D complications. The purpose of this study was to explore the questions of how the strengths of Māori heath organisations may be leveraged, and how the barriers and constraints experienced by Māori health organisations may be negotiated, for the benefit of Māori; and from a systems perspective, to identify strategic opportunities that may be considered and applied by Māori health organisations, funders and policy makers to respond more effectively to pre-diabetes and reduce health inequities between Māori and non-Māori.

Methods
Utilising case study methodology, a range of data sources were triangulated including nine semi-structured interviews, documents, and a diabetes system map to identify possible strategic opportunities for key stakeholders to respond more effectively to pre-diabetes.

Results
Key themes and possible actions to improve health outcomes for Māori with pre-diabetes include: (1) Recognising Māori health organisations as conduits for the community voice and influential partners in the community to effect change; (2) Strengthened partnerships with Māori health organisations for community benefit and to support measurable, evidence-based change and service delivery, particularly when Māori knowledge systems are viewed alongside a Western scientific approach; and (3) Intersectoral integration of health and social services to support provision of whānau-centred care and influence the social determinants of health and local environment.
Conclusions
Māori health organisations are important actors in systems seeking to improve outcomes and eliminate health inequities. Support from funders and policy makers will be required to build on the strengths of these organisations and to overcome system challenges. To realise improved health outcomes for Māori, the value placed on whānau and community perspectives not only needs to be acknowledged in the implementation of health interventions, health and social policies and funding arrangements, but performance measures, service design and delivery must evolve to accommodate these perspectives in practice.

text: He Pikinga Waiora: Supporting Maori health organisations to respond to pre-diabetes Background
Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) is a common long-term condition affecting the health and wellbeing of New Zealanders; one in every four New Zealanders is pre-diabetic. Māori, the Indigenous people of New Zealand, are at an increased risk of developing pre-diabetes and T2D and there are significant inequities between Māori and non-Māori for T2D complications. The purpose of this study was to explore the questions of how the strengths of Māori heath organisations may be leveraged, and how the barriers and constraints experienced by Māori health organisations may be negotiated, for the benefit of Māori; and from a systems perspective, to identify strategic opportunities that may be considered and applied by Māori health organisations, funders and policy makers to respond more effectively to pre-diabetes and reduce health inequities between Māori and non-Māori.

Methods
Utilising case study methodology, a range of data sources were triangulated including nine semi-structured interviews, documents, and a diabetes system map to identify possible strategic opportunities for key stakeholders to respond more effectively to pre-diabetes.

Results
Key themes and possible actions to improve health outcomes for Māori with pre-diabetes include: (1) Recognising Māori health organisations as conduits for the community voice and influential partners in the community to effect change; (2) Strengthened partnerships with Māori health organisations for community benefit and to support measurable, evidence-based change and service delivery, particularly when Māori knowledge systems are viewed alongside a Western scientific approach; and (3) Intersectoral integration of health and social services to support provision of whānau-centred care and influence the social determinants of health and local environment.
Conclusions
Māori health organisations are important actors in systems seeking to improve outcomes and eliminate health inequities. Support from funders and policy makers will be required to build on the strengths of these organisations and to overcome system challenges. To realise improved health outcomes for Māori, the value placed on whānau and community perspectives not only needs to be acknowledged in the implementation of health interventions, health and social policies and funding arrangements, but performance measures, service design and delivery must evolve to accommodate these perspectives in practice.

year: 2019