Chances and limitations of business reconfiguration of alpine SME mountain railway companies: The case of Switzerland and South Tyrol
Series
Publication of the AIEST
ISBN
3-9521723-5-9
Type
book section
Date Issued
2004
Author(s)
Editor(s)
Keller, Peter
Abstract (De)
Mountain railway companies, business reconfiguration, Alps
Language
German
Keywords
This paper contributes to the study of economic sustainability of mountain railway companies (i.e. rack railways
cable cars
aerial passenger tramways
chair lifts
ski lifts
etc.).
This industry faces a challenging future driven by quickly changing and declining customer demand as well as a changing business environment. This study explores chances and limitations of business reconfiguration measures in terms of integration and co-operation with regard to their contribution to economic sustainability of this industry. Cash flow serves as a key characteristic of that sustainability. Based on Swiss cross-sectional data consisting of
financial and design data
This industry faces a challenging future driven by quickly changing and declining customer demand as well as a changing business environment. This study explores chances and limitations of business reconfiguration measures in terms of integration and co-operation with regard to their contribution to economic sustainability of this industry. Cash flow serves as a key characteristic of that sustainability. Based on Swiss cross-sectional data consisting of
financial and design data
a number of hypotheses are tested by means of regression models. The discussion of the model results are enriched by illustrations generated from longitudinal data of Switzerland's neighboring country
the province of South Tyrol.
The results of the analysis reveal that differences in cash flow are primarily driven by the variability of revenues (and thus market suitability) and less by expenses/ costs
The results of the analysis reveal that differences in cash flow are primarily driven by the variability of revenues (and thus market suitability) and less by expenses/ costs
which turn out to be strongly associated with the size and configuration of infrastructure and the degree of its operations. Furthermore
revenue productivity in terms of cash flow ratio of revenues is not necessarily a matter of size of a company. In consequence
the paper thus discusses different reconfiguration strategies and their potential impacts on cash flow.
As a generic type of strategy
As a generic type of strategy
a horizontal form of integration combined with vertical reconfiguration by means of cooperation is proposed
the first primarily aimed at capacity optimisation and the second one at increasing demand and revenues allocation.
HSG Classification
contribution to scientific community
Refereed
No
Book title
The future of small and medium sized enterprises in tourism
Publisher
Edition AIEST
Publisher place
St. Gallen
Number
46
Start page
179
End page
200
Pages
22
Subject(s)
Division(s)
Eprints ID
13881