By the end of 2020, a total of 34 multifunctional Assistive Technology Resources Centers (ATR centers) were set up in 22 counties and cities in Taiwan. This study examines the perceptions of the users and their caregivers of the government-established ATR centers in Taiwan and examines the impact on the reputation of the public institution. The research framework and hypotheses were developed by examining the factors of “service convenience”, “center-related factors”, “justice”, and “perceived value” and using “perceived value” as a mediating variable. The data were collected through a questionnaire survey, and the structural equation model was used to test the model and verify the hypotheses. Research data was collected in various townships in Yunlin County A total of 320 questionnaires were collected. Of these respondents, 22% were aged 51–60. All the research hypotheses were positively and significantly verified. Of these, justice was the most important factor affecting the value of the ATR center’s services compared to convenience and center-related factors. Of convenience, service value and justice, service value was the most important factor affecting the perceived reputation of the public institution. According to the findings of this study, it is beyond expectation that the convenience of ATR is not the main factor influencing the service value, but rather the perceived justice is the most important factor. Therefore, ATR should be prioritized from the perspective of the service recipient, especially the perceived justice of the service, in order to best enhance the value of the service and improve the reputation of the public institution.
Under globalization, a local brand must be managed by strengthening local uniqueness and representativeness to become a unique brand that is irreplaceable in the international market. An examination of Taiwan’s cultural characteristics and resources shows that religion has been the focus of the government’s tourism promotion in recent years. A religious site is filled with architectural, historical, aesthetic, and cultural elements. Through online marketing and multilingual introductions, the government has packaged Taiwan’s religious culture into a brand. Temples not only provide devotees with a place for spiritual sustenance but also offer them cultural tourism experiences. When service design is integrated into the branding process, the various touchpoints experienced are the key to promoting temple and tourist interactions. A culture can be converted into unique and representative patterns by using brand design strategies, thereby creating opportunities for cultural sustainability. This study chose a national monument temple in Yunlin County, Taiwan, as the study location. Through a course of instruction, students with professional design backgrounds were granted the opportunity to work in a monumental temple, where they practiced participatory learning, played the role of mentors, and developed design proposals. By using observation and interview methods as well as service design tools, the students identified problems and needs and proposed service design insights and design implementation plans. The results of this study were analyzed along with the design flow, course outcomes, and students’ open-ended questionnaires. Finally, a religious branding design strategy based on the core value of cultural sustainability was proposed.
The elderly need the assistance of walking aids due to deterioration of their physical functions. However, they are often less willing to use these aids because of their worries about how others may think of them. Not using professional walking aids often makes elderly people fall easily when walking. This study explores the behavioral intention factors of middle-aged people (45–64 years old) and elderly people (65 years and older) that affect the use of walking aids. Based on the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA), subjective norms, attitude toward usage, behavior intention, safety, and usefulness were combined with social image to establish the research framework. This study used questionnaire surveys both in paper form assisted by volunteers and in online electronic form. A total of 457 questionnaires were collected. Data analysis was carried out in three stages: descriptive analysis, measurement model verification, and structural equation model analysis. The results showed that social image had a significant impact on the attitude toward using walking aids. Factors such as attitude toward usage, subjective norms, and safety of walking aids also had a significant positive impact on behavioral intention. Finally, through the research results, some suggestions are proposed for stakeholders to improve the elderly’s concerns about the social image of using walking aids.
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