The diploma thesis analyses information technologies in the air transport industry, primarily global distribution systems. The first part of the thesis focuses on basic terms of information technology and introduces subjects of the air transport industry, which are air traffic control, airlines and airports. The second part of the thesis describes all information technologies, which are used by above mentioned subjects for organization and operation of air transport. This part is mostly dedicated to global distribution systems, which are inessential for distribution of air transport.

Aviation industry is in many ways considered a pioneer, especially in innovation and implementation of new materials and technologies. The aim of this thesis is to provide comprehensive and complex information on the matter, pointing out the differences in distribution systems and scenarios outlining the expected evolution of these systems in the future. The dissertation defines the basic concepts and the nature of the problem and also talks about the historical development of the GDS to better understand the current ownership and evaluate the importance and status of GDS in the Czech and world market. It analyzes selected GDS and graphically illustrates the positions of the GDS on the certain markets within the category. The basic method used is the comparison which was done by putting the specifics of individual GDS and their subsequent comparison, the thesis also includes SWOT analysis.

This study is about the transition to NDC standard protocol in the business ecosystem of flightticket distribution. The key actors included are airlines, travel agencies and content aggregators(system suppliers). The thesis analyses the current state of the transition to NDC done by thekey actors of the business ecosystem of flight ticket distribution with digital transformationmaturity perspectives, including dimensions, which are relevant for the transition. A conceptual framework has been created and includes six digital transformation maturityperspectives with attached dimensions that can impact the transition to NDC for the businessecosystem with the actors included in the scope of this thesis. The conceptual framework hasbeen created based on previous research on the topic of NDC and used as a foundation to createthe interview protocol and to structure and categorize the empirical results and analysis. The result of this thesis is a compilation of the answers to the interview protocol with tworespondents from two different airlines, three respondents from two different travel agenciesand two respondents from one content aggregator (system supplier). The result answers thequestion of how every organization is working with the different perspectives, and itsdimensions, of digital transformation maturity perspectives in their transition to NDC. Fromthe answers of the respondents, it has also been possible to identify central themes of the keyactors' work that was not originally part of the conceptual framework. The transition to NDC is an ongoing process and the different key actors are working with thedifferent perspectives, including the dimensions, in their transition to NDC. Based on theanswers from the respondent of this study, updates have been made to the conceptualframework to cover all the central themes of the key actors work with digital transformationmaturity perspectives and dimensions in their transition to NDC. The key actors are dependenton each other working with every perspective, and dimension, of the digital transformationmaturity perspectives and if the work with one perspective falls behind for one actor there areripple effects for the other key actors. Key words: NDC Standard Protocol, Flight ticket distribution, Business Ecosystem, Digitalmaturity, Airlines, Travel agency, GDS, Global distribution system

Originaire du palmier Euterpe oleracea, l'açaí est un fruit endémique de la forêt amazonienne, dont la consommation s’est fortement développée au Brésil depuis les années 1990 et est émergente dans d'autres régions du monde. Consommé surtout sous forme de pulpe et érigé en « superfruit » par des acteurs du marketing pour son potentiel antioxydant et nutritionnel, la baie d'açaí traverse un processus dynamique englobant à la fois son circuit spatial de production et de distribution internationale ainsi que sa composition de produits dérivés. Dans cette conjoncture, notre recherche a révélé que l’açaí est à un stade avancé de mondialisation, avec un espace de diffusion commerciale dépassant 70 pays, répartis sur tous les continents. Dans ce contexte, la France joue un rôle important car le commerce des produits à base du fruit a été identifié dans sept des dix territoires d’Outre-Mer comptant plus de 9 000 habitants, ainsi que dans le cadre d’un projet d’exploitation d’açaí à grande échelle en Guyane française. Dans le cas de Paris, des entretiens et des travaux de terrain ont été menés afin de mieux comprendre la dynamique commerciale et les principales relations spatiales établies par les produits dérivés du fruit dans la capitale française. Ces analyses nous montrent qu’il existe un « axe de l’açaí » à Paris dû à la forte concentration de points de vente sur la rive-droite de la ville. Les résultats montrent l’importance d’une consommation urbaine relevant de classes sociales aisées de la population. Paris illustre un phénomène de consommation de l’açaí dans les métropoles mondiales. / Originating from the Euterpe oleracea palm tree, the açaí is an endemic fruit of the Amazon rainforest, whose consumption has grown strongly in Brazil since the 1990s and is emerging in other parts of the world. Mostly consumed in the form of pulp and erected as a "superfruit" by marketing actors for its antioxidant and nutritional potential, the açaí berry goes through a dynamic process encompassing its international production and distribution space circuit and its derivatives composition. In this context, our research has revealed that the açaí is at an advanced stage of globalization, with a commercial distribution space exceeding 70 countries, spread over all continents. In this context, France plays an important role because the fruit-based products’ trade has been identified in seven of the ten overseas territories with more than 9,000 inhabitants, as well as in the context of a large-scale exploitation project in French Guiana. In the case of Paris, interviews and fieldworks were conducted to better understand the commercial dynamics and the main spatial relationships established by fruit-derived products in the French capital. These analyses show us that there is an " axis of the açaí" in Paris due to the high concentration of selling points on the right bank of the city. The results show the importance of urban consumption especially from the higher social classes of the population. Paris illustrates a phenomenon of consumption in the world's major cities. / Originária da palmeira Euterpe oleracea, o açaí é uma fruta endêmica da Floresta Amazônica de consumo emergente em todo o Brasil e em outras regiões do mundo. Primordialmente consumida na sua forma de polpa e estabelecida como uma "superfruta" pelos atores do marketing e por seu potencial antioxidante e, nutricional, o açaí atravessa um processo dinâmico que engloba tanto seu circuito espacial de produção e distribuição internacional, quanto na composição de produtos derivados. Dentro desta conjuntura, nossa pesquisa identificou que o açaí encontra-se em um estágio avançado de mundialização, com um espaço de difusão comercial que ultrapassa 70 países, distribuídos em todos os continentes. Dentro deste contexto, a França desempenha um papel importante, visto que foram identificados o comércio de derivados do fruto em sete dos seus dez territórios ultramarinos com mais de 9.000 habitantes, além de um projeto de exploração do açaí em larga escala na Guiana francesa. No caso de Paris, foram realizadas entrevistas e trabalhos de campo para melhor entender a dinâmica comercial e as principais relações espaciais estabelecidas pelos produtos derivados do fruto na capital francesa. Essas análises nos mostram que existe um "eixo do açaí" em Paris devido à alta concentração de pontos de venda na margem direita da cidade (em relação ao rio Sena). Os resultados mostram a importância do consumo urbano por classes sociais abastadas. Paris ilustra um fenômeno de consumo do açaí nas metrópoles do mundo.

This study investigates what three large, multinational hospitality companies do in practice when evaluating and making IT investment decisions. This study was launched in an attempt to 1) learn more about how multinational hospitality companies evaluate, prioritize, and select IT investments in the context of hotel GDS; 2) call attention to an important and costly topic in hopes of improving current practices; and 3) fill a noticeable literary void so that future researchers on IT and hotel GDS would have a foundation and starting point. The perennial question of any business is "How does an organization add value?" Value can be defined from many different perspectives and may result from tangible and intangible factors. Principal stakeholders include shareholders (investors), customers, and employees. Shareholders typically measure value in terms of economic return on their investment based upon some level of perceived risk. For customers, value is assessed in terms of a price-value relationship; that is, how much they received in terms of product and services for the price they paid. For employees, value is measured by salary and by the intrinsic rewards of the job. Yet, one of the most elusive questions with respect to information technology is "How can value be measured?" Hospitality executives are being pressured daily to invest more in information technology (IT) - especially in the area of hotel global distribution systems (GDS), which have become the cornerstone of a hotel firm's IT infrastructure and portfolio. There are a number of sweeping changes on the horizon impacting hotel GDSs and requiring the development of a well-crafted strategy for global distribution systems. These broad changes include bypass theories to remove airline GDSs and travel agents, the introduction of new and emerging player, and innovative approaches to pricing and promotion. Many of these developments offer promise to hoteliers, but they also threaten their control over their customer relationships and their inventory and add to the complexity and cost of distribution. Selecting the appropriate distribution channels is paramount to success and important if hotel firms are to grow top-line revenue and control overhead; yet the number of choices facing hotel executives is overwhelming. They are also at a loss for measuring value derived from IT. One of the greatest issues plaguing the advancement of technology in the hospitality industry is the difficulty in calculating return on investment. Until recently, most technology investment decisions have been considered using a support or utility mentality that stems from a manufacturing paradigm. Under such thinking, business cases could be built around an application or technology's ability to reduce costs or create labor savings. However, management's attitudes towards technology have been shifting in recent years. The more technologically savvy hospitality companies are looking to IT to build strategic and competitive advantages. These types of investments yield results over time, and seldom in the short-run. This is problematic among owners and investors who demand more immediate results. Moreover, it is difficult to quantify and calculate the tangible benefits of technology when it is used for strategic purposes. Today's financial models are inadequate for estimating the financial benefits for most of the technology projects under consideration today. While the hospitality industry has disciplined models and sufficient history to determine the financial gains or success of opening a new property in a given city, it lacks the same rigorous models and historical data for technology, especially since each technology project is unique. Although this problem is not specific to the hospitality industry, it is particularly problematic since the industry tends to be technologically conservative and unwilling to adopt new technology applications based on the promises of its long-term merits if it cannot quantify the results and calculate a defined payback period. When uncertainty surrounds the investment, when the timing of the cash flows is unpredictable, and when the investment is perceived as risky, owners and investors will most likely channel their investment capital to projects with more certain returns and minimal risk. Thus, under this thinking, technology will always take a back seat to other organizational priorities and initiatives. Efforts must be made to change this thinking and to develop financial models that can accurately predict and capture the financial benefits derived from technology. Given the present predicament and difficulties surrounding the current tools, techniques, and measures, executives are faced with an important choice. They can 1) continue to use the present methods despite their shortcomings, 2) dispense with ROI, cost-benefit, and discounted cash flow analyses altogether for IT projects, or 3) develop new methods, tools, and measures that can accommodate the complexities of IT and quantify the intangibles. This study is a call to action in favor of the latter because the measures determine not only which projects will be accepted but also how their success will be evaluated. Having a rigid evaluation process forces executives to identify a project's potential contribution and align the project's objectives with the firm's strategic goals and objectives. Using the co-alignment principle as its theoretical underpinning, this study employs a multiple-case design to investigate the resource allocation processes used with respect to information technology and global distribution systems. It looks at how three leading, multinational hospitality firms address IT project/investment evaluation and decision-making, the measures they use, and the frustrations they encounter. These frustrations include problems that arise from a hotel firm's fragmented ownership as well as from hotel executives' inability to measure the results of IT through definitive cause-and-effect relationships. The results of the study provide affirmation of the co-alignment principle and document linkages and co-alignment between strategy and IT. Clearly, decisions involving IT and hotel GDSs require multivariate measures, multidimensional perspectives, and multidisciplinary involvement. However, research from the marketing discipline is noticeably absent in this area. This study concludes that because IT plays an important enabling role for marketing initiatives and is redefining the supply chain of a hotel firm, marketing researchers can no longer stand on the sidelines. This study also identifies three important constructs, or classes of variables (context, process, and project), the variables comprising each, and their influences on the evaluation and decision-making processes. These findings add to the understanding of IT evaluation, measurement, and decision-making in the context of hotel GDS. This study clarifies the intangible aspects in hopes that useful measures can be developed in subsequent research to quantify and evaluate these costs and benefits. Finally, this study provides a series of prescriptions or recommendations gleaned from the three companies that were the focus of this study in hopes that they will lead to the development of best practices in the hospitality industry. / Ph. D.