Claire Liu

personal information

Biography

Senior Lecturer
School of Hospitality & Tourism
Faculty of Applied Humanities
AUT City Campus

 

I came to New Zealand as a scholarship candidate for a Master of Business Studies programme in February 1995 after lecturing in a university in the areas of economics and business management in China for 11 years. My employment experiences in New Zealand include travel consultant, university tutor, lecturer and senior lecturer. Before joining the School of Hospitality and Tourism at AUT University in November 2007, I worked for Pacific International Hotel Management School (PIHMS), New Zealand, one of the Orion international hotel management schools, as a lecturer for eight and half years and Postgraduate Programme Coordinator for three years. I also served as a Chair of Research Committee, Member of PIHMS Academic Board and Chair of PIHMS Board of Studies.

I graduated with a Ph.D. in Tourism Management from Massey University, New Zealand in 2006. My Ph.D. thesis researched the development and implementation of a quality measurement and improvement strategy based on a specified combination of two TQM tools - SERVQUAL and QFD. The methodology was trialled and refined in three Rotorua based tourist attractions and centred on the appropriateness of applying such quality improvement techniques to the small business sector of the New Zealand tourism industry. My six-year research involvements with the New Zealand tour operators have provided me with first hand information and knowledge in the operation of tourism business. This has also enhanced my teaching and further research in tourism business and future development of the tourism industry. My research works have been presented and published at international tourism research conferences in Australia, UK, USA, China and New Zealand.

Currently I am associated with New Zealand tour attraction operators in providing consultation for their development and implementation of quality management strategies. I have also remained connections with universities in China in developing teaching and research opportunities.
 

Teaching area(s)

The Business of Tourism

Tourism and Entrepreneurship

Research Projects Management

 

Qualifications
Ph.D. Tourism Management, 2006
Massey University, New Zealand

Master of Business Studies, 1996
Massey University, New Zealand

Postgraduate Diploma in Business Administration, 1995
Massey University, New Zealand

Master of International Business Law, 1990
Beijing University of International Business
P.R.China

Bachelor of Economics, 1983
Northeast University of Finance & Economics
P.R.China

 

Research Interests

SMEs and tourism quality management systems
Cultural tourism and community development
Service quality management
Customer expectation and satisfaction
Aboriginal tourism development
Ecotourism and international tourism development
Quantitative survey, case study and data analysis
 

Publications

 

Book chapters

2001
Smith, R.W. & Liu, C. (2001). Mike & Doug Tamaki: Tamaki Tours Ltd. In A. Cameron, & C. Massey (Eds.), Entrepreneurs at work (pp. 24-33). Massey University: Palmerston North, New Zealand.

1998
Liu, C. (1998). Application of Quality Function Deployment in the Service Industry. Proceedings of the 5th Annual New Zealand Engineering and Technology Postgraduate Conference, Massey University: Palmerston North, New Zealand

Conference articles

2007
Liu, C. (2007). Visitor satisfaction and continuous quality improvement strategies for small tour operation. Proceedings of the 5th Bi-Annual Symposium of Consumer Psychology of Tourism, Hospitality and Leisure. 4-6 June 2007, Charleston, South Carolina, USA.

2006
Liu, C. & Vitalis, T. (2006). Combining SERQVUAL and QFD within a strategic management of quality framework. Proceedings of the 11th World Congress for Total Quality Management. 4-6 December 2006, Wellington, New Zealand.

2006
Liu, C. & Smith, R. W. (2006). The implementation of QFD as quality improvement programme for a cultural tourism operator in New Zealand. Proceedings of the Cutting Edge Research in Tourism Conference. 6-9 June 2006, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK.

2002
Liu, C., Smith, R.W. & Barnes, D. (2002). The application of SERVQUAL as an initial tool for the implementation of QFD for small tourism attractions in New Zealand. Proceedings of the International Tourism Student Conference. 2-4 December 2002, Rotorua, NZ. pp. 30-37.

2002
Barnes, D., Liu, C. & Smith, R. W. (2002). Using SERVQUAL as an initial tool for the implementation of QFD for small tour operators. Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on ISO 9000 & TQM- Change Management. 2-4 April 2002, Melbourne, Australia, pp. 365-371.

Journal articles

2007
Liu, C. (2007). Changing customer expectations and the challenges for quality service delivery in the tourism industry. ORION Observatory: 21-century guest expectations: The mint on the pillow will not be enough. 26 – 28 October, Suzhou, China. ORION Journal of International Hotel Management. Issue No. 3. p.71.