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Purpose: This case study examines Marriott Corporation's large and successful spinoff between 1993 and 1995 and the concomitant adoption of a corporate ALFO strategy enabled by the transfer of assets and debt between the two entities. As an example of corporate restructuring, it involves changing ownership, operational structure, or business activities within a corporation in order to improve shareholder performance. Methods: Key directional changes in Marriott’s history that have changed the structure of the business is used to examine the spinoff and ALFO strategy adaptation. Results: Marriot have been characterised by a small number of significant and foresightful innovations. There was a great deal of importance attached to the company's move away from food service and towards accommodation in the future. During the early stages of the company's existence, the company was located near Marriott's Bethesda headquarters and was headed by the founder's oldest son. There is no doubt that these investments have been probing in nature in the recent past, but they are significant in terms of scale and commitment in the future. Implications: Marriott's success can be attributed to the fact that the company has a flexible corporate strategy that focuses on high growth and high yield business opportunities, as well as the willingness to dispose of assets that don't provide this outcome. As a result of this focus, the company was able to grow globally from the 1990s onwards. Ultimately, it can be said that the company's success can be attributed to the fact that it has adapted appropriately and successfully to changing operational and industry realities over the course of many decades, especially as exigencies in the asset and debt markets rendered the portfolio structure it had developed over so many decades unsustainable., SUBMITTED: DEC 2022, REVISION SUBMITTED: FEB 2023, ACCEPTED: MAY 2023, REFEREED ANONYMOUSLY, PUBLISHED ONLINE: 10 JUNE. 2023

Purpose Completion rates in Australian vocational education and training (VET) are notoriously low. While there are conventional reasons such as issues with course, health, institutional factors, financial and family problems and dissatisfaction with the training experience, more VET specific explanations have included that students may discontinue their studies when they have obtained the specific skills they were seeking or they have gained employment. This present study seeks to examine whether the original intention of students at the time of enrolment along with satisfaction and the benefit that could be obtained from completion have any bearing on completion patterns. Methodology This study utilises the 2011 Student Outcomes Survey and Student Intentions Survey and develops a data integration method to relate intention data to student outcomes. The concept of completion deficit is developed as the difference between the probabilities of intention to complete and probability to actually complete. Regression models and chi squared automated interaction detection are applied to evaluate the relationship between intentions, satisfaction, completion pay-offs and completion patterns. Findings Main findings of this study include the preponderance of part-time students enrolled in lower VET qualifications with high completion deficits. Furthermore, the completion pay-offs in respect to salary and improved employment conditions relate to increased completions and decreased completion deficits, while satisfaction plays only a minor role in shaping completion patterns. Originality This study contributes to the existing body of knowledge about completions in VET by including the original completion intention of students in the examination of completion patterns.

Budgetary constraints on the public purse have led Australian Federal and State governments to focus increasingly on the efficiency of public institutions, including Technical and Further Education (TAFE) institutes. In this study, we define efficiency as the relationship between financial and administrative inputs and educational outputs. We employ stochastic frontier analysis in determining the efficiency of Australian TAFE institutes using data sourced from institutional annual reports, the Student Outcomes Survey and administrative databases. We found significant economies of scale effects and conclude that increasing institutional size for very small institutions may result in increased efficiencies.

Using the push and pull framework, this study examines the relationship between tourist activities in New Zealand and behaviours such as tourist spending, travel style (group vs. independent travel) and length of stay. Data from the International Visitor Survey were analysed for a 19-year period (1997–2015). The findings, based on 62,288 respondents, identified 9 typologies of international visitors over this period. For example, type one visitors are primarily pulled by the nature-based activities offered in New Zealand while type two is pulled by adventure activities. Some of the typologies have activities that overlap reflecting the needs of international visitors. Significant relationships were found between the nine typologies, tourist spending, travel style and length of stay. Implications for destination marketing purposes are highlighted. Refereed/Peer-reviewed