Action Mechanism Study On The Evolution Of Managerial Power Of OTAs To Firm Growth

Online travel agency has gradually become an important force to promote national consumption and enrich people’s spiritual life.However,how to properly allocate managerial power has become an important problem for the growth of travel agency.However,the existing research has not paid enough attention to the effect mechanism of managerial power to firm growth.Therefore,it cannot provide valuable guidance for online travel enterprises to adjust the level of managerial power and promote firm growth.Based on single case study method,this paper selects Ctrip,a typical representative of online travel agency,as the case study object and explores the effect mechanisms of managerial power on the firm growth from the perspective of psychological process of power.Through the joint analysis of quantitative data and qualitative data,the concrete dimensions of managerial power,management behavior and firm growth and the specific mechanisms of them are discovered.This study draws the following conclusions through the proposition discussion:(1)The management behavior of online travel agency can be divided into substantive behavior and symbolic behavior.Substantive behavior refers to the practical actions taken by online travel agency,such as service content innovation,open platform and technology iteration,in order to improve users activity and participation,which are the substantial changes in business mode and direction.It can be divided into three dimensions: internal incubation of tourism products and services,acquisition and configuration of partners,technology development and version iteration.Symbolic management behavior is a performance with high visibility and flaunt significance adopted by online travel agency in order to show their sense of responsibility and professionalism to the outside world and gain the trust and support of the public.It can be divided into four dimensions: community communication,tourism warning and loss compensation,charity and promotion of tourism products.(2)Due to the substantial and symbolic differences in corporate management behavior,OTA management power has the paradoxical effect of both "hindering" and "promoting" to firm growth.On the one hand,the high power of the management means the increase of the decision-making freedom of the management,which leads to the opportunism tendency of the management.Management is more willing to implement symbolic actions with lower risks and costs to gain more private benefits.On the other hand,high management power is the result of enterprise incentive,which enhances the management’s sense of responsibility and encourages the management to carry out more substantive behaviors in the long-term interests of the enterprise(3)This paper constructs an integrated framework of "trigger-response-result" and probes into the dynamic mechanism of management power evolution on the growth of online tourism enterprises.In the "trigger" stage,the change of management power means the change of resources and decision-making freedom which perceived by the management,and the management behavior of the enterprise depends on the management power.In the "response" stage,the management will produce different substantive and symbolic behaviors according to the perceived resources and decision-making freedom.In the "result" stage,when these substantive and symbolic behaviors meet the growth theme of this stage,it will promote the growth of enterprises,otherwise it will hinder the growth of enterprises.Finally,this paper gives theoretical and practical enlightenment.